Last Thursday, I was sitting down to blog something lighthearted about Christmas in Delhi when news of the attack on Benazir Bhutto came through. Suddenly my pictures of kids in Santa hats and jolly remarks about our ethnically mixed Christmas dinner seemed utterly inappropriate.
We watched the unfolding news with mounting horror. Kashmiris are emotional and Tahir in particular was terribly upset. What distressed the family most was that a violent attack had been mounted on a woman – an unforgivable act for a true Muslim. Not completely understanding this I kept saying, predictably, that it was wrong to kill any leader – male or female. This elicited slightly reluctant agreement.
As moderates, the family are also saddened by the further blow this heinous act strikes at the already battered image of Muslims worldwide. Kashmir, despite its recent bloody history, has a tradition that stresses the love, peace and brotherhood within Islam. Tahir particularly admired Benazir as a great role model for modern Muslim women.
A TV image that stays with me is the sight of Benazir’s coffin leaving the hospital for the flight to her home district for burial. Borne aloft above the heaving crowd, it tipped and swayed alarmingly and at times seemed in danger of falling. Not only that, but the lid was only lightly tacked down and one corner had already come open. As the pale wooden box slanted towards the camera you could see, through the glass pane at the head end, the dark blue tunic and white scarf Benazir had worn for her last and fatal rally. It seemed an undignified way to handle the mortal remains of a woman of such importance but, as the people doing the handling were her devoted supporters, I don’t suppose Benazir would have minded.
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