Salman Taseer, the governor of the Pakistani province Punjab, was assassinated today by one of his own bodyguards. His assassin, named Malik Mumtaz Hussein Qadri, reportedly shot him because of Taseer’s opposition to the blasphemy law in Pakistan that prohibits (and provides strict punishments for) blasphemy against Islam. Taseer was calling for amendments to the law, especially in response to the death sentence of a Christian woman who insulted Prophet Muhammad. Taseer’s positions angered many Islamic extremists, including Qadri, who commented that "Salman Taseer is a blasphemer, and this is the punishment for a blasphemer.” Taseer’s positions were not supported by his party (the Pakistan People’s Party), which is also the ruling president’s party. However, he also called for rights for women and for minorities and was a charismatic national figure.
Those who remember the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Prime Minister at the time, know that violence has rocked the already unstable nation. It is especially disturbing that Taseer was killed by someone who was supposed to protect him, and tragic that Pakistan had to start off their new year this way. This event, throwing the Pakistani government into further instability, also represents a grim start of the new year for the U.S.; the turbulence prevents the Pakistani government from fully aiding the U.S. in its fight against terrorism, especially in Afghanistan, and the killing of an important official who was friendly with the U.S. is not promising.
Thoughts? Do you find it discouraging that a politician who had the courage to speak up was shot down? Authorities are also investigating whether or not Qadri was acting alone or if he is part of a group – which do you think is the truth? What do you think is in hold for the future of Pakistan?
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/04/2000634/top-pakistani-officials-murder.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12111831
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