Dear Editor,
I agree with letter writer R. Khan that Benazir Bhutto looted her country and she was not a perfect (or Jeffersonian) democrat as stated in his letter captioned “Would a patriot loot her poor country?” (08.01.07). And yes she was working closely with the U.S and General Musharraf in a quid pro quo deal to return to Pakistan.
But as I indicated in an earlier letter (SN Jan 04), no Pakistani leader was immune from corruption charges. Also, she was the best person at the time she was assassinated to rescue the country from anarchy and descent into Islamic talibanization (a medieval practice of Islam that denies even basic education to females, etc.). She did not deserve to be killed by assassins regardless of whether she was corrupt.
I wish to point out that in addition to the worldwide condemnation by important leaders of the killing of Bhutto, Islamic groups in South Asia have showered praises on Benazir and condemned her killing as dastardly, barbaric, cowardly, and a heinous act. Some of these groups have called for “a crack down on Islamic terrorists who unleash senseless violence on innocent lives” – insinuating that radicals were behind the murder.
With regards to who killed Benazir, it is not known with certainty that she was killed by Islamic radicals and it may be difficult to unearth who exactly planned and ordered her killing. But the Pakistani government issued a release saying she was killed by a radical Islamic Taliban, linked to Al Qaeda (the group responsible for 9/11) operating out of Waziristan. General Musharraf and US officials also felt she was killed by radical Muslims according to reports in American media. Since Khan says he has access to international news in Guyana, he should have asked “how did Musharraf and the US know Al Qaeda was behind Benazir’s murder?”.
An official from the Special Protection Group responsible for protecting Indian government officials in a newspaper comment said he believes Benazir was killed by Islamic terrorists. The SPG official said, “the terrorist group that attacked Bhutto had carried out several reconnaissance operations at past congregations.
They would have noted that she often waved at crowds from her car’s sun-roof, and identified this as a weakness”. This does not absolve the government from being party to the assassination because conspiracy theories are flying around, one of them saying that a radical wing of Pakistan’s ISI (Intelligence Service) was involved in the assassination. Since Khan has access to international news, I am sure he must have read the report in the New York Times on Jan 7, in which Benazir’s party, the PPP, says it believes that a former head of the ISI, with links to Al Qaeda, was behind the assassination.
Khan accuses me of attacking Islam. Can he please identify when and where I attacked Islam and please reveal those attacks for readers. He would find none. I have praised Islam numerous times and condemned those who hurt the image of Islam. Khan should be able to distinguish between an attack on Islam and on attack on those who bring Islam into disrepute.
Condemning those who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center killing thousands including Guyanese Muslims is not an attack on Islam. Condemning the judge who sentenced a woman to 200 lashes for being raped is not an attack on Islam. Sentencing a woman to jail time for allowing her kindergarden students to name a toy “Muhammad” is not an attack on Islam.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
