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After hearing the news yesterday of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the reality of it particularly disheartened me, having come to acknowledge that Pakistani politics is awash with troubles, of a nature that can not be solved using internal mechanisms.

Does the problem rest upon the fact that with the incorporation of Sharia Law into both the juristicial and civic structures of Islamic society, emphasis upon Anti-Western sentiment chime exceptionally well with promoting an ideology that see its followers dedicate themselves to the notion of serving God (Allah) through Holy War.

As far as it is legitimate to say so, it seems that many strands of indigenous Asians are distanced from participating in mainstream politics on the Sub-indian continent to such a degree that it appears not as a reflection any one citizen's negative experiences in being ostracised or disenfranchised, (this kind of labelling is reserved classically on sociological grounds and in popular use by academicians, describing people living on poor housing estates).

Countries whatever allegiances they may have to their own systems of governances should not be allowed to become categorised as failed states. I find it distressing that little or no point of reference in respect to having all political fraternities in Pakistan assemble a workable democratic model, for all of it's society to be represented by, does at the moment remain a fanasty. The extremists within the population as a whole must be threatened with immediate isolation, coming to accept that their political struggle is'nt supported by the main majority of muslims (or indeed the ummah - world community) will not continue to suffer the indignation of being associated to wider circles.

The death of this woman is worse than the reaction and overall controversy surrounding the publication of the book "The Satanic Verses" whereby Salmon Rushdie was forced into exile due to lengthy periods of intolerable persecution.

If what was indirectly suggested within the context of that novel was interpretted as derogatory towards the name of Allah, then the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and the suicide bombing somewhat in tandem (killing a further 20 people). For me, this resonants with what Nietzsche spoke of when he used the statement "God is Dead" meaning that whatever form of chaos the death of a figurehead would go on to produce, the place for a philosophy or doctrine to be adherred to by humankind was still essential to our development and continuation on Earth.

Learn more about this author, John Owen Thomas.
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