Small wonder that the gulf between Islam and the "kaffur" (ie non-Muslims) widens not narrows. The actions of extremists or "fundamentalists "(call them what you will) in the name of Islam is truly barbaric. The violent actions of those Muslims who engage in such extreme acts - be it against kaffurs or their own kind (vide so-called "honour "killings, the murder of Mrs Usman and the fatwah issued against Salmand Rushdie) is indefensible, incomprehensible. Yet we continue to appease. We continue to walk on the eggshells of Muslim sensitivity. We tolerate too much. All those hate-mongers who urged killings in demonstrations against the Danish cartoonist should have been arrested at the demonstrations - not just the few who were recently convicted. We should come down hard on the extremists - not pander to them and worry about how the Muslim community might react. The only way for peaceful Muslims to react is: firmly, vocally and publicly. They must lead the way in condemnation.

Christopher Southam, London,

It is appalling to see a supposed first-rate journalist and many others use the term 'fundamentalist' when they have no idea nor clue as to what the 'fundamentals' of Islam is. No where in Islam is it said that you should shoot to kill a woman just because she is holding a position of leadership. Logically, this cannot be considered the 'fundamental' of ANY religion. It is a shame to see that the term has been misunderstood as 'EXTREMIST'.

I believe the term anyone is looking for 'EXTREMIST' not 'fundamentalist' - not unless one is an expert on the fundamentals of Islam.

Nadia Azahari, KL, Malaysia

its not the religion we shell blame,its ourselves.it is us who live in world where such things still exist and it is us who will read this,spare a thought for a second about unperfectness of a world where women killed for not covering their faces and continue to the sports.
it is us who choose tolerance and not protest,and,frankly: it is because we are slobs and not because we are so tolerant.if protest sounded from the armchair would sound,we were much more protestive,but it isn't,so we tolerate.we tolerate everything - faceless(ooops...veiled)teachers in our schools, demonstrations against us and our way of live in our capital, hell,we even tolerate being bombed on our way to vacation.
and i ask why?why do we agree with it?are we to passive?or not enough active?or may be it is our feeling of being blame for being rich?let the really rich feel the blame,midclass and lower just want to get safe for vacations,get their kids educated safely and not to be terrorised in their way to work

alex, nagariya, israel

Women unite! This must stop -- it's not about religion, it's about males' wishes and desire to dominate women/us. Insidious claims to "Islamic purity, need to be eradicated, if we are ever to be free and liberated.

Beyond belief - no different from the barbaric slaying of Theo van Gogh!

Teresas Deleon, chicago, USA

As several Muslims have pointed out, this viscious killing was as un-Islamic as suicide bombings and the Taliban`s killing of schoolgirls. I look forward to many thousands of Pakistanis taking to the streets in protest at this latest affront to their religion.
It`s not going to happen though is it.

John.j, Berlin., Germany.

After reading all the comments i see that people will always blame the religion ,now let me say islam it self means peace but today lack of education means that people like the idiot mullah have the audacity to get up and feel that they have the right to kill for allah. If the man does not know his own history that prophets wives were in buisness ,politics and were teachers themselves than there is no hope for the future. But in all of this we forget that she was a brave beautiful women who died for what
I dont know can any one explain to me.
Let me tell you she was a loving cousin, family woman well liked by all family and friends.She will be missed by all of us who knew her may she rest in peace

Huma, london, uk

All religions kill, enslave an torture, and are based on a combination of moral and physical blackmail.

Here is more confirmation, were that needed.

Meanwhile, Clare College, Cambridge, is crawling to muslim apologists.
Disgraceful

G. Tingey, London, England

The default position of so many is to America bash at the moment. In many cases this goes hand in hand with the idea that fundamentalists are somehow 'in the right' and that their views deserve respect. As a women, I cannot respect any religion , nor any part of one, that would treat me as a second class citizen. Nor one that would consider it right to kill someone for what they are wearing. I cannot simply understand how a man (and they are usually men) can reach this point of extremism? Is it extreme low self esteem/ failure in society? What can the world as a whole do to stop the creation of these people? Can anyone shed any light on it?

Lisa, Milan,

It is with a great deal of sadness that I hear of the murder of this intelligent, brave and committed lady, whose only misdemeanour was to be seen as not to be following the "... commandment of Allah ...". For that she paid with her life at the hands of a fanatic in that she was a Politician.
The World is a poorer place today for her absence.
And extremist Islam has a great many questions to answer.
I doubt that it will, for I doubt that it will be asked to.

David Michael, London, UK

this man needs to be sent to the vet and put down,
like all crazy animals.its got nothing to do with islam.

abbas, RAWALPINDI, pakistan

Ah, another innocent has found peace through Islam.

Leon Drennan, Portland, USA

“I have no regrets. I just obeyed Allah’s commandment.”

I love it when people have direct communication with their "God". May I have that 1800 toll free number too?

max, HK,

Just because you "believe" Christians have killed more in the past doesn't make it so. Check you history and you will find that even tho Christianity has done some "gosh awful stuff", the Crusades and other "Christian" battles were in response to outside forces rather than being the initiator. The Islamic religion does indeed hold the prize for killing the most, and believe it or not, it is mostly other Muslims.

Dennis, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

There should be a global movement to modernise the teaching of the religion. I am calling the ulamas to address this educational issue because they are the ones who are accountable for the misinterpretation of the Holy Book that produces such anarchy.

Mohammad Afdal , Walton-on-Thames, United Kingdom

Only obeying orders - sounds familiar.

R Bowden, London,

Sorry to disappoint all you Muslim apologist, but what do you expect from a religion and culture that treats women as slaves. Please don't try to tell me that it isn't the case, I see it every day in the Muslim area in which I live.....and then they have the cheek to demand respect! I don't think so.

Dave Smith, Birmingham,

Ralf, you cannot condem a religion just because of the actions of a few deluded people. There are always people who hate and wish to kill, they simply use religeon as a rule. By the way I believe that christians have caused much more deaths over the centuries and I do not see anyone condeming the current pope.

Joseph Kellie, Edinburgh, Scotland

With their veils Muslim women make a statment about their religious believe...but without it they make a statment about themselves.Unfortunely not everyone is ready to argue.

Patrícia, Vitoria, Brazil

I'm not muslim but I did study a little about the religion... could any one confirm this notion I got from those studies that some of the Profet's wifes (namely Aisha) played an important role in his political life?

Alex, London,

Why is anyone surprised.....??

Roy, Dubai, UAE

This surely puts into perspective the claim by Moslim women that wearing the veil is their freely made decision. No wonder that many see the veil as a very visible and repugnant symbol of repression.

paul, Reading, UK

I'm a Muslim man living in Iraq .We never do such a thing to women who do not wear Hijab ! . That was not the verdict pf our Holy Quran , then who is that man so he can implement the order of the sky ?

Haidar , Najaf, Iraq

God must get angrier by the day as these deranged fanatics commit murder in his name. As Voltaire quite aptly put it; "If we believe in absurdities, we shall commit atrocities."

Charles Lewin, Helsinki,

Lifting the veil on Islam?

Keith, Copenhagen, Dewnmark

Such a wonderful peace loving religion....

Ralf, E.Stroudsburg, PA, USA

It' s funny how the British left (Galloway et al) defend these fanatic islamists - I thought the left were fighting for women's rights in the sixties and seventies. Now women's rights don't seem to matter as the anti-American sentiments of these idiot fanatics seem to possess more political capital in the UK. Didn't Churchill say something about the feeding habits of crocodiles?

Howard, Derby, UK

Sir/Madam:
Nothing unusual for a religion and nation with many fanatics! Some of these fanatics are willing to do anything!

Unfortunately, the moderate Muslims, human rights groups, women lib groups and other just ignore these unacceptable practices and actions.

Unless all sane people, including Muslims oppose these fanatics with radical mindsets, there will be more such unfortunate and barbaric actions.
Regards,

Krishna R. Kumar, Udupi, India

Mrs Usman was obviously an extremely brave woman, and a martyr to her cause. That cause is important to all of us. The man who shot her is a mediaeval barbarian, and I hope he is not typical of the mind-set of most male Muslims. His actions are to be utterly condemned, and it would be reassuring to see other Muslims, especially those in the UK, doing this. However, I have a strange feeling that they won't. Many claim to be victims of "Islamophobia" while not acknowledging that those who are phobic (i.e. afraid) of Islam have reason to be so long as such incidents such as that involving Mrs Usman occur, and are not strongly condemned by Muslims generally.

Cathy , London, UK

This demented self-righteous lunatic who killed this woman politician has no knowledge of his religion let alone the Qur'an. The Qur'an is very clear that if you kill one human being you kill the whole human race and that the Prophet gave women political rights in his time...so what world is this man living in? If he thinks his actions were by the Book then he may have to die by the Book as well.

omar martin, Granada, Spain

"How barbaric....carried-out in the name of islam.What is wrong with this 'religion'?

Dean, there's nothing wrong with Islam. But, there are things fundamentally wrong with some people's ways of practicing the religion.
Does Jim Jones' Guyana tragedy or David Horesh's in Waco suggest something is wrong with Christianity? It is just the way people practicalise their understanding of their beliefs. We cannot evaluate the evilness or the goodness of religions on few people, who are evil or good.

samora, Lagos, Nigeria, Lagos

i am very sad today

oh my god he doing shot in woman

every maulvi does not kill woman in pakistan

this maulvi is very different and kill the woman

he is fanatic

zella uma is die and she is minister and did not wear her head. she is going gujranwala and home town and help the family.

maulvi sarwar is fanatic

i think so

irtaza, Lahore, Punjab , Punjab, Pakistan

How barbaric....carried-out in the name of islam.What is wrong with this 'religion'?

Dean, Alicante, Spain

"" “I have no regrets. I just obeyed Allah’s commandment,” he said. Islam did not allow women to hold positions of leadership, he claimed. ""

I have not read the Koran, and I am not at all familiar with its teachings, but if there are any Muslims reading this article could you please tell me on what page it says that women must not hold any position of leadership and are to be shot on site?

This is a very sad story, and this type of "vigilante" action on the so-called behalf of Allah does not help the Muslim cause...

Jacqueline, Osaka, Jaoan

Extraordinary.
Muslims ought to be a crying out against such avowals of motives -- and ostracising such views. Public space as we know it will vanish if murderers can refuse that minimal altruism -- the recognition of life -- and still receive sympathy.

"Woman" does not obey the prescription in anybody's Holy Book. An increasingly global society cannot afford the sanctimony and the threat of violence against half the human race.

andras ungar, Montreal , Canada

What a perfect example of that great religion of peace.

Haven, USA,