Last Wednesday we had the pleasure of listening to a real hero. Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, lectured at the Tucker Theatre on the Middle Tennessee State University campus. She came with a message of unity, peace, and hope. She had incredible tales of triumph and of perseverance in the face of incredible odds.
One of the biggest themes of the evening was that people should be more tolerant, tolerant of ideas, people, and others religion. She stressed that Usama Bin Laden did not speak for the majority of Islamic followers. She said that Americans should give all citizens a chance based on their face value. She also stated that Jews, Christians, and Muslims have more in common than most of them know. They share some of the same historical figures. That is justifiable, however, she failed to acknowledge one fundamental difference. Christians recognize that Jesus was God's only Son, and that without the atoning blood of Christ there can be no remission of sins. Therefore there is a big difference between Christianity and Islam.
Her overall message of peace was delightful to hear. She was well spoken and well educated. She was brought to MTSU as part of a special lecture series. MTSU was lucky to have someone as well respected as Mrs. Bhutto. Her philosophies were admirable on some points and questionable on others as explained above. I think that anyone who had access to hear her, was able to see what a wonderful person from a third world country could be if given the same money that many of us in the United States enjoy.
Here are some of the facts that surrounded her while she was in office. Benazir Bhutto became the youngest Prime Minister at the age of thirty-five and the first Muslim woman to lead a Muslim nation in modern times. During her first term, she started People's Program for economic uplift of the masses. Benazir Bhutto also lifted a ban on the student unions and trade unions.