Benazir Bhutto Pakistan (independent since 1947) BENAZIR BHUTTO Pakistani politician who became the first woman leader of a Muslim nation in modern history. She served two terms as Prime Minister of Pakistan, in 1988–90 and in 1993–96. EDUCATION The daughter of politicianZulfikar Ali Bhutto, who had been President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977, she completed her education at Harvard University (B.A., in 1973, in comparative government) and subsequently studied philosophy, political science, and economicsat the University of Oxford (B.A., 1977). LEGACY After her father’s execution in 1979 by military dictator Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, Bhutto became the titular head of her father’s party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), since two of her brothers had also been assassinated. Early career and marriage She endured frequent house arrest from 1979 to 1984. In exile from 1984 to 1986, she returned to Pakistan after the lifting of martial law and soon became the leading figure in the political opposition to Zia-ul-Haq. In 1987 she married a wealthy landowner, Asif Ali Zardari. It was an arranged marriage. The couple had three children: a son and two daughters. Bhutto and her children Prime Minister President Zia-ul-Haq died in 1988. In the 1988 elections, Bhutto’s PPP won the largest bloc of seats in the National Assembly. She became Prime Minister, heading a coalition government. Defeat Bhutto was unable to do much to combat Pakistan’s widespread poverty, governmental corruption, and increasing crime. Bhutto’s PPP suffered a defeat in the national elections of 1990. New Cabinet In elections held in October 1993 the PPP won a plurality of votes, and Bhutto again became head of a coalition government. Again she suffered allegations of corruption, economic mismanagement, and a decline of law and order. She was forced to resign in 1996. Exile In 1999 she went on exile first to London and then to Dubai. In 2004 Bhutto’s husband, businessman and senator Asif Ali Zardari, was released from prison and joined Benazir in exile. (He was the President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013). Amnesty and return In 2007 President Musharraf finally granted Bhutto a long-sought amnesty for the corruption charges brought against her by the Sharif cabinet. In October 2007 Bhutto returned to Karachi from Dubai after eight years of self-imposed exile. Assassination Celebrations for her return were marred by a suicide attack on her motorcade, in which 136 supporters were killed. Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007 by a suicide bomber in a similar attack, while campaigning for parliamentary elections. The attack killed 28 others and wounded at least 100. Benazir Bhutto ISLAM and female education Both the Koran – Islam's sacred text – and the example of Prophet Muḥammad (sunnah) advocate the rights of women and men equally to seek knowledge. The interest of the Prophet in female education was manifest in the fact that he himself used to teach women along with men. Current situation About 40% of the adult population is illiterate in Islamic countries, and the proportion reaches 65% among Muslim women. At university level, the situation is different. In Iran, women account for over 60% of university students. Similarly, in Malaysia, Algeria, and in Saudi Arabia, the majority of university students have been female in recent years, while in 2016 Emirati women constituted 76.8% of people enrolled at universities in the United Arab Emirates. Female employment Some scholars refer to verse 28:23 in the Koran and to Khadijah, Muhammad's first wife, a merchant, as indications that Muslim women may undertake employment outside their homes. Traditional interpretations of Islam, though, require a woman to have her husband's/father’s permission to leave the house and take up employment. Current situation The Middle East and North African region rank lowest in the world on economic participation, employment opportunity and political empowerment of women. 10 countries with the lowest women labour force participation in the world – Jordan, Oman, Morocco, Iran, Turkey, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Syria – are Islamic countries. Financial and legal matters According to all schools of Islamic law, the injunctions of the Shariah of Islam apply to all Muslims, male and female, who have reached the age of maturity. All Muslims are in principle equal before the law. According to verse 4:32 of the Koran, both men and women have an independent economic position. Marriage Marriage is the central institution of family life and society, and therefore the central institution of Islam. The contract is confirmed by the bride's reception of a dowry, and by the bride's consent to the marriage. Normally, marriages are not contracted in mosques but in private homes or at the offices of a judge. Marriage Islamic law allows polygamy where a Muslim man can be married to four wives at the same time, but since the Sharia demands that all wives be treated equally, classical Islamic scholars state that it is preferable to avoid polygamy altogether, as this proves difficult. Marriage Some countries allow Muslim men to enter into additional temporary marriages, beyond the four allowed marriages. Temporary marriages can be for a duration that is less than an hour to few months, recognized with an official temporary marriage certificate, and divorce is unnecessary because the temporary marriage automatically expires on the date and time specified on the certificate. Divorce In Islam, a woman may only divorce her husband under certain conditions. They include neglect, not being supported financially, the husband's impotence, apostasy, madness, dangerous illness, or some other defect in the marriage. Dress code Modesty is a religious prescription in Islam: the Koran commands both men and women to dress modestly and not display their bodies. In fact, Muḥammad asserted that modesty is a central character trait in Islam. A jihab or veil is traditionally worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty and privacy. Sources BBC – History Encyclopedia Britannica Wikipedia Online Archives – Department of History.