Female legislator gunned down in Kandahar city

[VIChris]

A female provincial government official in Afghanistan who worked hard for women's rights was gunned down on Sunday during a weekend of violence that has rocked the south of the country.

Sitara Achakzai died when gunmen ambushed her outside her home in Kandahar city before driving away, according to Matiullah Khan Qateh, Kandahar province's chief of police.

Four men on motorcycles drove up to the house and shot Achakzai as she exited her car, Qateh said.

Qari Yousef Ahmedi, a Taliban spokesperson, claimed responsibility for the killing.

Achakzai spent the years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan living outside the country. She lived in Germany for at least 20 years and was a dual Afghan-German citizen.

She returned to Afghanistan to work for women's rights, according to Shahida Bibi of the Kandahar Women's Association.

Achakzai was a member of Kandahar's provincial council and was a vocal proponent of women working outside the home, Bibi said.

According to Bibi, Achakzai also encouraged other women to join the fight for equal rights.

Achakzai is said to have family living in Toronto.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Ron Hoffman, Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan, condemned the death and said that "Canada stands by those who promote and support human rights, including women's rights, in Afghanistan.

"Today's act of violence is especially heinous and the perpetrators of this cowardly act must be brought to justice."

The whole article is here:
http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews/20090412/afghanistan_militants_090412

 

[The Bread Guy]

...for the assassination - more here:

A female member of Kandahar provincial council was gunned down this afternoon (April 12) by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate in Mulla Alam Akhand area in front of her home in Kandahar city.  The Mujahidee were riding on two motorcycles and after attack com(e) back to their base in same city. Reported by Qari Muhammad Yousuf

 

[George Wallace]

.......or here:

Female legislator gunned down in Kandahar city

 

[PMedMoe]

Perhaps we don't need two threads about current events in Afghanistan?

 

[George Wallace]

Perhaps we don't need two threads about current events in Afghanistan?

One is for reporting the news.  You can comment in this one.  Make sense?

This event emphasises to many of our detractors, that there is still much to be done in Afghanistan to bring Peace and Stabilization to the nation.  We now have Afghans returning from exile, with educations and work experience, who can contribute to the rebuilding of the nation, and they are the targets of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.  It emphasises how dangerous the nation still is, and how long a way they have to go to bring about that Peace and Stability.

 

[PMedMoe]

One is for reporting the news.  You can comment in this one.  Make sense?

This event emphasises to many of our detractors, that there is still much to be done in Afghanistan to bring Peace and Stabilization to the nation.  We now have Afghans returning from exile, with educations and work experience, who can contribute to the rebuilding of the nation, and they are the targets of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.  It emphasises how dangerous the nation still is, and how long a way they have to go to bring about that Peace and Stability.

Well, to be truthful, two are for reporting the news.  Hard to decide if this article falls under "The Sandbox and Area Reports" or "Taliban Propaganda".  Other than that, I certainly understand the significance of the event as reported here.  I almost posted it yesterday but figured someone else would.