The Death of Sitara Ackakzai
Sitara: A Woman of Courage Who Paid the Ultimate Price
Sitara Ackakzai, the Afghan Woman Lawmaker and Civil Rights Activist, was assassinated by gunmen on a motorcyle in Kandahar over the weekend. There have been many discussions on this. I was particualrly moved by Kamran Pasha's tribute to her in the Huffington Post. I view the assassination has been even more important in light of the debate going on in Afghanistan over the law passed and signed by Karzai about Women's Right which I wrote about earlier.
Whoever killed Sitara is a coward. Whoever ordered the attack is a coward. Whoever sanctions an undermining of women's rights is a coward, does not understand religion and the need to move with the . Those so-called purists who throw acid in the face of women and destroy girls schools, don't seem to understand the reality of the 21st Century. The towering figures in Islam are the Prophet's Wife, Khadijah and the Prophet's daughter, Faitma. The so-called purists seem to forget that.
Human relationships have to always begin with a sense of mutual respect. Will this be achieved? The death of this courageous woman has underscored this struggle.
Mike Pouraryan
