A leading female police officer in Afghanistan, hailed as a hero in a strict religious atmosphere that discourages women from appearing on the streets without a burqa, was fatally shot Thursday morning.
Lt. Islam Bibi was attacked while riding on a motorbike alongside her son-in-law, said Omar Zwaak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand, according to the Telegraph.
Ms. Bibi, 37, was only one of 32 women who served in the nation’s 7,000-member police force and was recognized as a strong advocate for women’s rights. For that, she received several death threats, including one from her own brother.
In an interview this year, the mother of three told the Telegraph that “my brother, father and sisters were all against me. In fact, my brother tried to kill me three times. He came to see me brandishing his pistol, trying to order me not to do it, though he didn’t actually open fire. The government eventually had to take his pistol away.”
She had been a member of the police force for nine years.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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