Updated: Mon Apr. 13 2009 10:20:46 PM

CTV.ca News Staff

The brutal murder of a female member of Kandahar's Provincial Council on Sunday afternoon is "a big blow" to Afghan society, says the council's chair.

Sitara Achakzai died when four gunmen on motorcycles ambushed her outside her home in Kandahar city before driving away.

The Taliban quickly released a statement claiming responsibility for the killing.

Ahmed Wali Karzai, chair of Kandahar's provincial council and brother to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said Achakzai's murder will likely deter women from seeking elected office or taking other government jobs.

"That will definitely affect the family. No one will take a risk to send their daughters and their mothers and their wives to become a member of parliament," Karzai said.

"So definitely, it's a big blow for the Afghan society," he added.

In addition to her role on the council, Achakzai was a well-known women's rights activist who was a vocal proponent of women working outside the home.

While she spent the years of Taliban rule living in Germany and has travelled to Canada to visit family in the Toronto area, Achakzai returned to Afghanistan to help with reconstruction, as well as to encourage women to fight for equal rights.

She had recently organized marches across the country for International Women's Day.

Relatives in Toronto were mourning the activist's death on Monday, and told CTV News about her bravery, courage, and love of life.

"I'm so proud of her," said her niece, Ghatool Maiwand. "She lost her life fighting for freedom, fighting for women's rights."

Another niece, Maryam Maiwand, said Achakzai was "always laughing. Every room she walked into she was always smiling and joking around and dancing."

Lauryn Oates of the organization Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan said the fact that the Taliban claimed responsibility for the murder indicates Achakzai was likely killed because of her beliefs about women's rights.

"(In the statement) they used the words that she was involved in 'bad things' without elaborating on what exactly that meant," Oates said Monday on CTV's Canada AM. "I think we can assume it just meant that she was a woman who worked outside her home and she was involved in politics with the government that they are opposing. So she was a worthy target for that reason."

According to Oates, Achakzai had recently been receiving death threats and had plans to leave the country for an extended period of time on May 1. Conflicting reports suggested she was going to either Germany or Canada.

Achakzai's death comes at a time when the world's attention is once against focused on Afghanistan over the plight of women in that country.

The so-called Shia Family Law, which legalizes rape within marriage and confines women to the home unless they have a male escort, was passed by Afghanistan's national assembly but has not yet been enacted.

News of the law sparked outrage among Western nations, including Canada, which forced President Karzai to issue a statement saying that he has ordered a review of the legislation.

With a report by CTV's Lisa LaFlamme in Toronto

Comments are now closed for this story

RCR
People want to reach out to the "moderate" Taliban. I've got a better idea lets eradicate these vermin using all means possible. If that means going in Pakistan so be it.Pakistan's military doesn't seem to be up to the task.

Keith in Brampton
The Taliban undoubtedly saw in the Shia Family Law the weakening resolve of politicians in Afghanistan to support women's rights and decided this would be an ideal time to strike at that particular weak spot.

Canuck in Bellingham WA
The UN and other world agencies have got to support equal rights for women everywhere. The PRIMITIVE RELIGIOUS BASED societies that trample human rights are abhorant.

These are war crimes that are as bad as the holocaust and Rwanda. The world needs to stand up and fight this sort of crap. The PC that are afraid to offend the Muslim world and kowtow to them should be ashamed.

I do not find the average Muslim any more of a problem than the average Christian. But these fanatical hoards that think they have a right to put "women in their place" or object to some funny cartoons about Allah and go nuts are PRIMITIVE.

John
No one will ever get rid of the Taliban. Nato should get out let the Country operate like it has for the past few hundred years.

Nato soldiers will keep getting killed, and the war will have no end!!

17Biscuits
At the end of World War II which saw the atrocities of the holocaust, the collective voice of the civilized world stood together and said "Never Again". The senseless murder and persecution of a completely innocent race of people for no other reason than their race and the Nazi hate for it. Here we are just 70 years later, at a time in history when we might like to think we are more civilized, we have another regime carrying out outrageous acts of violence and/or injustice upon people (in this case, their own people) simply because of their gender. In the face of this scourge upon the innocent, the collective voice of the civilized world appear to be sitting on the side lines and preferring to say "that's really too bad".
We need another Winston Churchill or more Stephen Harpers who will dare to stand up and say "not on my watch" and contribute troops, military hardware and relentless political pressure to ensure it stops, here and now!

Mark
Right-and recently some lead cleric in Afghanistan said that the law allowing husbands to 'rape' their wives can't be changed.

I was formerly, a staunch supporter of Canada's role in Afghanistan. Now I realize that this country is so rooted in primitive, clan-based, Medieval thinking that do do not DESERVE our help or sacrifice. I squarely blame the Liberals for getting us in this ill-thought exercise. The Taliban were thrown out, we've been there a long time and spent a lot of blood and treasure.

I say we begin our pull-out. Build a wall around this God-for-saken country, bring our people home and the hell with them.

Allan Eizinas
It is not enough for our social architects to try to change Canada, now they feel qualified to change the world. For a while they hid behind the concept of “democracy”.

We let the people vote in Gaza. The population picked Hamas!

Oops – wrong choice. We have to change what they want and how they think.

We let the people vote in Afghanistan. The population picked Karzai and Sharia!

Oops – wrong choice. We have to change what they want and how they think.

What makes us think that we know what is better for them, than what they want?

Art
Again , the ignorant , uneducated , killers / Taliban , murder someone that is obviously educated and civilized. They say she was doing " bad " things, how about murdering a woman , that's a good thing ?You gutless , uneducated Islamic radicals stand up and fight like men against men , and while were at it , where are the Islamic Clerics voicing their anger at these Islamic murderers or are they also cowards , I guess we can see who the strong are , the women and girls of Afghanistan, trying to step out of the cave man era where the Taliban would like to take every Muslim nation back to.

Garry in NS
As horrible as this incident is, we - in Canada - have taken 142 years during which to develop our democracy to where it is today. Be patient.

Anne
"What makes us think that we know what is better for them, than what they want?"

Well, what the men want over there is for women to be nothing more than things to be owned, certainly not equally human. God (or Allah) forbid they get educated. Goodness, they may realize that they are being abused. There is nothing more pathetic than a culture/religion that keeps certain segments of itself ignorant and cloistered in order to control them. All of those fanatical clerics are utterly pathetic.

the big gulp
If women want equality in any part of society it is the women themselves who will have to make the sacrifices. Men don't want to give up their power and it doesn't matter if it is business, politics, home or religion. The Catholic church is a good example of men wanting to retain power.

Bob in Lewisporte, NL
It is typical of the cowardly techniques the Taliban are using, and certainly gains them nothing, in fact, it negated their cause tremendously.

CYL
Here's another part of the world where 'peace' is a bad word. Even peace within their own families is a bad word because men cannot accept women as equal. It's time women come together and stand up to them. Those men cannot do without women.