Now you’re shooting women, you coward?

An Islamist ‘fanatic’ on Tuesday shot dead a Pakistani female provincial minister and supporter of President Pervez Musharraf because she was not wearing Muslim clothing… Zilla Huma Usman, 35, the Punjab province minister for social welfare and a renowned women’s rights activist, was killed as she was about to address… a political meeting.

Police said the bearded lone attacker, identified as Mohammad Sarwar, approached the minister as party activists threw rose petals at her, then took out his pistol and blasted her in the head… “He killed her because she was not observing the Islamic code of dress. She was also campaigning for emancipation of women…”

Usman encouraged the holding of a mini-marathon involving female competitors in Gujranwala… in April 2005. [Link]

Ghulam [Mohammad?] Sarwar had killed 12 call girls of Lahore. He was arrested for the murder of call girls and was released from the jail last year. [Link]

This serial murderer thinks ministers are prostitutes if they’re not wearing a hijab. You could chalk it up to a twisted fundamentalism. Or you could call it an extreme form of fashion criticism, a trendy, bendy fundie.

In the infinite justice of the universe, Usman was shot dead but Sarwar only arrested. Women in jail might be raped, men might be tortured, but a serial killer who cloaks himself in religion will be held unharmed.