Benazir Bhutto

I'm back! Are you excited about my return after all this time (like what, a month? OMG that's major!)? I bet you have been crying all that time...(or not!)

As I know you probably haven't missed me at all, I'll surprise you with a theme which I assumed you would love...I will continue in the same matter as my dear mate, Sara: Human Rights! Yey, haven't you loved the idea?!

Well, I will introduce you to Benazir Bhutto, born in 1953 and assassinated in December 2007, when she was running-up to the January 2008 parliamentary elections.

Benazir Bhutto was twice elected Pakistan's Prime Minister - from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. During her political career, she was a proeminent figure in terms of the defense of the Human Rights and women's empowerment in Pakistan. She was also named amog the 7 winners of UN Human Rights prize.
This awsome figure, and great woman, made several speeches, proclaiming her ideals, mainly in terms of democratisation having as example this quote, from one of her speeches: The suppression of democracy in my homeland has had profound institutional consequences.
Each of Pakistan’s four military dictatorships has assaulted the major infrastructural building blocks of democracy -- by attempting to marginalize political parties, dismantling NGO’s and undermining civil society, by constraining labor and student unions, and allowing the intelligence agencies and government members to physically assault and intimidate the free press. (...)Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow the mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan.

She is also known for one speech , litte time before she died, in April 2007, in Islam, where she referred: Islam is not only committed to tolerance and equality, but it is committed to the principles of democracy (…) Islam is not only committed to tolerance and equality, but it is committed to theprinciples of democracy.

Her battle for democracy was not easy. She felt that, as a woman, she had to protect and fight for women's rights. She once affirmed that her political struggle became a treatise of Islam and the rights of women.

Bhutto spoke against abortion, and was an active and founding member of The Council of Women World Leaders. She is known as “The Iron Lady” (OMG, iron, really?! Ok she might be though, but gold is also resistant and it would suit her better...) and has been honored in many ways: The Islamabad National Airport was renamed to Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Muree Road of Rawalpindi to Benazir Bhutto Road and Rawalpindi General Hospital to Benazir Bhutto Hospital. Nawabshah, in Sindh, was renamed Benazirabad, a university in NWFP was founded in her name and Benazir Income Support Program, a program which provides benefits to the poorest Pakistanis, is named after Bhutto.

Isn't all this incredibly awsome? I also want cities with my name...I guess I may dream about it, right?

XOXO, Oh My Gossip,

Filipa