Benazir+Bhutto

**Benazir Bhutto **

 * Title: Benazir Bhutto ||
 * Title: Benazir Bhutto ||

- **__Basic Information__** o Current City: Garhi Khuda Baksh, Sindh, Pakistan o Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan o Sex: Female o Birthday: June 21st, 1953 o Political Views: Proponent of women's rights, liberal activist leader of the Pakistan People's Party o Religious Views: devout Islamic, but believer in a more progressive interpretation of the laws of the Qu'ran o Bio: Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007), several times Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first woman in history to become prime minister of an Islamic country, was born in Karachi, Pakistan, the daughter of influential politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She was educated at Radcliffe College of Harvard and Oxford University, and soon after became a symbol of resistance to the dictatorship of Mohammad Zia ul-Haq after her father was killed by government supporters. In 1986 Bhutto was elected co-chairwoman of the Pakistan People’s Party that her father had founded, and in 1988 she became prime minister for the first time at age thirty five. Bhutto was ousted by opponents only two years into her term after being slapped with a series of corruption charges; she acted as leader of Pakistan’s parliamentary opposition until the PPP won several seats in the legislative National Assembly in 1993. During her second time in office Bhutto launched into an extensive campaign of modernization, including improved health care, increased education, and poverty and hunger relief programs across the country. Before she could continue her plans for progress, however, President Farooq Leghari dismissed her from office in 1996 on charges of abuse of power and mismanagement of her office, and Bhutto was forced into nine years’ exile in Dubai and the United Kingdom. On her return to her homeland in October of 2007, President Pervez Musharraf granted her amnesty and she prepared to reclaim leadership of the PPP and possibly share legislative power. A suicide bomber struck and killed 136 people at the homecoming rally staged for the former prime minister, but Bhutto herself escaped uninjured. On December 27th, 2010, less than an hour after addressing a crowd of thousands of supporters during a campaign rally in the city of Rawalpindi, Benazir Bhutto was killed when an extremist in the crowd fired several shots at her vehicle and then detonated a bomb. Rioting wracked Pakistan in the wake of her death, and today Bhutto is remembered as an independent and outspoken leader who was beloved by her supporters.

o Favorite Quotations: "You can imprison a man, but not an idea. you can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea." "We learned from an early age that it was men's interpretation of our religion that restricted our oppotunities, not our religion itself. Islam had in fact been quite progressive towards women from its inception." (both said by Bhutto) - **__Relationships__** o Mother: Elected as co-chairwoman of the PPP with her daughter o Father: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto o Daughters: Bakhtawar and Aseefa o Sons: Bilawal o Brothers: Murtaza and Shahnawaz o Sisters: Sanam Husband: Asif Ali Zardari - **__Likes and Interest__** o Activities: Heading the Pakistani government, campaigning for Women's Rights, reading the Qu'ran, raising my family o Interests: piano, the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ancient history and philosophy o Music: Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bob Dylan, Diana Haddad, Heartsounds, Chopan, Debussey o Books: __Civil Disobedience, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Prophet, Crime and Punishment, An Enemy of the People, Hedda Gabler__ o Movies: Inherit the Wind, Slumdog Millionaire, Hidalgo, Casablanca, Caberet, Mutiny on the Bounty o Television: BBC News, Band of Brothers, Gilmore Girls, Destinos - **__Education and Work__** o High School: Radcliffe College o College/University: Oxford o Employer: Presidents Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Leghari, and Musharref of Pakistan


 * __Photos__**
 * ALBUM 1: Family Life





ALBUM 2: The Campaign Years

ALBUM 3: Legacy



__Groups__** This group provides a forum for Pakistani as well as foreign journalists who wish to share information; it will be extremely useful for obtaining and dispersing campaign information and communicating with outsiders regarding issues within Pakistan.
 * GROUP 1: Pakistan-MEDIA

GROUP 2: Professionals-of-Pakistan Members of this site included doctors and medical researchers. lawyers, engineers, military personnel, and esteemed politicians; it is a way for me to connect with prominent members of both my own party and the opposition on a diplomatic and intellectual level.

GROUP 3:islam4ever-net Islam is a truly global religion, as is exemplified by this group in which Muslims, from various areas of the Middle East all the way to nations such as France and Canada, can exchange emails on Islamic customs and practices.

GROUP 4: Excellenceinpublicrelations This group relates to one of the most important components of my career; besides offering advice on public relations and business methods, its various posts address "ethical and moral responsibilities" that are important to working with and for the good of the people.

GROUP 5: Self Defense for Women Martial arts is a field that intrigues me; it seems to be one strong way of empowering women, and is obviously not readily accessible in Pakistan. I have joined this group to learn more about what could turn out to be a very lively hobby to keep me active during exile.

GROUP 6: Londonfeministnetwork Based in the United Kingdom, this organization puts a great deal of time and resources into combating all forms of what they percieve as infringement upon women's rights, from pornography and prostitution to sexual assault and domestic violence. I would like to found a similar group in Pakistan, but it would undoubtedly be subject to violent controversy and legal lobbying; however, women's groups are in great need in Pakistan as well as many other Middle Eastern nations.

GROUP 7: Banglarnari This group is a Bangladesh-based discussion forum for issues concerning women's oppression in the East that is justified by excuses such as cultural traditions and interpretations of religion. Both explanations are ones that are used frequently to excuse the repression of Islamic women, and so this is a beneficial group for someone of my philosophy and standing to join.

GROUP 8: AMWAHNet Perhaps the most beneficial group I have yet joined, this was created specifically for Muslim women to discuss and open opportunites for Islamic education; its resources include a place to share strategies on increasing the involvement of muslim women in modern society and a direct link to the Assoc. of Muslim Women in America, the group's banner organization.

GROUP 9: Savethenation This group stems from a project in Pakistan by a team of Japanese scientists to solve the problem of chemical impurities in drinking water in Kasur. The mission was begun by invitation of former Pakistani president Malik Meraj Khalid; personally, I am deeply concerned with the internal issues such as pollution and poverty that continue to plague Pakistan and necessitate projects such as this.

GROUP 10: BenazirButtho (Truly, it exists!) Even though the creators have misspelled my name, it is an honor to have a group named after oneself. I can only hope its members will be gratified that thier namesake has joined them.

__Quizzes__ QUIZ 1: "What's Your Inner Element?" Chaos of Shadows This quiz found me to be a calm and highly selective person of quiet inner strength, as is fitting for the first female prime minister of Pakistan.

Quiz 2: "What is People's first Impression of You? Dark and Quiet As a politician, I know that first impressions are very important if one is to communicate one's ideas and garner support.

Quiz 3: "What is your Voice?" Water The description of this result -"Your voice sounds like a silent creek or a massive waterfall, depending on your mood. People find it intriguing and different from everything else" - mirrors my political approach and way of convincing the people of my country of what I have to say.

Quiz 4: "Which Greek Goddess Are You?"** The greek pantheon are traditional examples of power and strength; I had expected that I would be labled Athena for her leadership, courage, and love of learning.
 * Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy in War

Quiz 5: "How far would you go for a friend?" "You don't quit" It is important for me to know my loyalties to such as my religion, my husband, and my country; the results of this test show what I already knew: that I will stop at nothing to crusade for what is right.**