Bhutto destroyed the Muslim stereotype someone spent a lot of time and money creating

[NNN0LHI]

Think about it. Muslims aren't supposed to be civilized enough to be electing women as their leaders. We have been programed to believe all Muslim men do is beat women with sticks and force them wear burkas when they aren't too busy stoning them to death. Not be out voting for them to be their leader. Fact is we have been sold a bunch of crap by someone.

That is why she is dead.

Don

[kestrel91316]

1. I'm certainly not scoffing at that as one possible explanation.

[rAVES]

2. I think this is a great observation..

[College Liberal]

3. I think you are on to something

We have never even elected a woman to the hightest office in the land, but many "third world" countries have.....

[Deja Q]

7. Does that include Great Britain?

:hide:

[College Liberal]

11. No need to hide

I stand corrected. Thanks. I love it when i am wrong, you know why? Because it is a teachable moment....

:hi:

[The Straight Story]

4. Kinf of like Christians in the US - find the bad about a group and harp on only that

Positive things about a group you hate are not allowed and only serve to make them less boogeyman like.

[LSK]

5. good point

I don't think thats the reason she was killed thou.

[Didereaux]

6. Bhutto was drop-dead good looking, never...

a woman born that would cover beauty up with some religious rag! (and apologies for that gruesome pun)

[ProSense]

8. She was elected twice before in 1988 and 1993, but there have been others

Megawati Sukarnoputri - President of Indonesia from July 2001 to October 20, 2004.

Khaleda Zia - Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996

Sheikh Hasina - Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001

Tansu Çiller - Prime Minister of Turkey from 1993 to 1996

[theboss]

9. There are women in the Iranian Parliament

I'm not 100 percent sure what the point of this tread is, though.

[Igel]

10. But I don't think she was elected by the population.

She was the head of her father's political party, the PPP, since, well, he was her daughter. She had the pull, and the PPP is as close as you come to a progressive, secular, mainstream party in Pakistan.

The PPP had a plurality and put together a coalition to control the National Assembly of Pakistan, the lower house of their Congress, or had an outright majority. I don't know which it was. Not gonna take the time to find out, either, it's 2 am.

The National Assembly elects the prime minister. It's fairly common, I think, for the controlling political parties to have their chairfolk as prime minister, sort of a perk that comes with dominance. I imagine the first time there was a bit of a fight over it the first time, but to be honest I wasn't paying attention.

Bhutto was no more elected by popular vote than Musharraf was in August, although when the PPP gained its plurality/majority I assume most of the PPP voters would have foreseen her being PM.

[BoneDaddy]

12. I think it is a little bit more complicated than

trying to destroy a stereotype. But it is an interesting point you make which sadly reinforces the stereotype you think she destroyed. Being a woman in an extremely patriarchal (and growing moreseo) culture was a factor in her death, I believe.

[fishnfla]

13. There are some who claim she had a hand in her own brothers murder

the widow for one.

I think it is more complicated