Religion       Religion        Religion       Religion        Religion       Religion        Religion       Religion        Religion       Religion        Religion

Christian

• Appointment of Female Archbishop Highlights Theological Differences. [GenerationQ, Australia] The recent election of the first female archbishop in the American branch of the Anglican Church has caused dissension and highlighted the differences between two differing streams of theological thought. The election of Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori as Arch-bishop of the Episcopalian Diocese of Fort Worth, on June 18th heightened debate over homosexuality after the bishop publicly stated that she does not consider homosexuality to be sin. In an interview with CNN, the Jefferts Schori said: "I believe God creates us with differing gifts." This debate is not new and Jefferts Schori's election serves to highlight the major differences between liberal and traditional theology. Liberal theologians believe that God created diversity and that He champions the cause of the poor and underprivileged. They believe that God calls the church to create a place where segregated members of the community will find acceptance. More traditional theologians believe that God's grace is extended only to those elect who come to Him and that God calls them to uphold the Bible as the inerrant and perfect word of God. Traditional conservative theology teaches that women should not hold positions of authority in the church, and that all homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God. Feminist and GLBT groups hailed Bishop Schori's appointment as a forward step and a sign that the church is moving towards a more inclusive climate.

• Anglicans Mark 30 Years of Ordaining Female Priests. [Waterloo Record, Canada] The Anglican Church of Canada will mark the 30th anniversary of the ordination of its first female priests on Nov. 30. A national gathering titled Fire on the Deep Water -- Fire in our Deepest Hearts will be held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 at the Sorrento Centre in Sorrento, B.C. And the national church's website www.anglican.ca has set aside an area -- www.accnotes.org/30th-anniversary -- for messages and reflections about women's ordination which began in 1976.

• Female Bishop Challenges Catholic Church to Change. [Seattle Times] For 45 years, she was a Roman Catholic nun. Now she considers herself a Catholic bishop. Patricia Fresen of South Africa says she was ordained a priest in 2003 and a bishop last year — though the church recognizes neither. The 65-year-old Fresen, part of a movement that began four years ago called Roman Catholic Womenpriests, will be speaking in the Puget Sound area over the next few days. She's one of about 40 members who consider themselves priests or deacons and one of four who consider themselves bishops. Fresen was invited to Seattle by Betty Hill, co-president of Call to Action Western Washington, an organization of Catholics calling for church reforms such as allowing married and women clergy. "It's a matter of justice," Hill said. "Right now, women in the Catholic Church are not equal to men."

• Pioneer Speaks Out on Female Priests. [ic Coventry, UK] A pioneering female priest who served at a Coventry church has defended the Archbishop of Canterbury after his comments about women in the priesthood. Dr Rowan Williams, who has held the post since 2003, was recently criticized by some church officials for apparently suggesting the Anglican Church might one day "think again" about the appointment of women priests. But the Rev Nikola Marshall, a former curate at St Mary's Church in Hinckley Road, Walsgrave, Coventry, said the archbishop had always supported women priests and still did. She was one of the first women priests ordained after the Church of England voted to allow women priests in 1994 and is now chaplain for the Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health NHS Trust.

• Teen Bride Testifies In Polygamy Trial. [KELOLAND TV, SD] A woman who claims she was forced to marry her older cousin testified in a Utah courtroom. She's the key witness in the case against Warren Jeffs, leader of a fundamentalist Mormon sect. The woman, now 20 years old, says Jeffs pressured her to participate in a marriage ceremony with a man when she was 14. When she wouldn't say "I do" or take the man's hand, she says Jeffs stared at her. As she put it, he was "drilling a hole in me with his eyes." Jeffs is charged with rape as an accomplice. A southern Utah judge must decide whether he will go to trial.

• Polygamy Trial Garners International Attention. [KCPW, UT] The high profile case of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs is drawing international attention. Earlier today the British Broadcasting Corporation interviewed former polygamist wife Anne Wilde from KCPW studios. "The reason we could make it work is that we all had strong religious commitment that this was a true principle that we should live," says Wilde. "It's not designed for everyone, but it is a religious belief that we're strongly committed to." Wilde is founder of the pro-polygamy group Principle Voices and member of a fundamentalist Mormon sect. She was in a polygamist marriage for 33 years before her husband's passing. She tells the BBC that jealousy was not a problem among her sister wives.

• Movement is Trying to Legalize Polygamy. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] In her battle to legalize polygamy, the only thing Valerie hasn't revealed is her last name. The mother of eight has been on national TV; her photo along with that of her two "sister-wives" has graced the front cover of a glossy magazine dedicated to "today's plural marriages." All the while, she has insisted that she's just like you and me: "I'm a soccer mom. My kids are in music lessons. They go to public school. I'm not under anyone's control." Valerie and others among the estimated 40,000 individuals in polygamous communities are part of a new movement to decriminalize bigamy. Consciously taking tactics from the gay-rights movement, polygamists have reframed their struggle, choosing in interviews to de-emphasize their religious beliefs and focus on their desire to live "in freedom," according to Anne Wilde, director of community relations for Principle Voices, a pro-polygamy group based in Salt Lake. The efforts of Valerie and scores of others like her are paying off. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff no longer prosecutes bigamy between consenting adults, though it is a felony.

• Australian Muslims Warned Over Cleric's Comments. [Agence France-Presse] Prime Minister John Howard of Australia warned Sunday that comments by the top Islamic cleric in Australia about women and rape could do lasting damage to the Muslim community's relations with the rest of the country. Howard was speaking against a background of spiraling protest and anger after the cleric compared women who do not wear an Islamic head scarf to "uncovered meat" inviting sexual attack. Riot squad officers were among a strong police force dispatched to a major Islamic festival to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in Sydney on Sunday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The cleric, the mufti of Australia, Sheik Taj Aldin al-Hilali, canceled his planned appearance at the festival in the wake of the uproar over his remarks, for which he has apologized. He has also promised not to preach for three months.

• Women Banned from Religious Seminar in Saudi Arabia. [Khaleej Times, UAE] Women at a hospital in the Saudi capital, including doctors and journalists, were forced to leave a lecture about Islam’s stance on organ donation because they were women, reported Saudi- based Arab News on Wednesday. The sheikh who gave the lecture, a university professor, refused to enter the room until it was emptied of women. In the beginning, some women protested but in the end they gave in so the man could give the presentation. “This is ridiculous,” one woman, a medical professional and a Muslim, was quoted by the newspaper as saying. “In the Grand Mosque in Mecca, men and women pray together. Why are we being asked to leave? This guy knows a hospital is a mixed place. He should have realized that before he came,” she said.

Politics       Politics        Politics       Politics        Politics       Politics        Politics       Politics        Politics       Politics        Politics

• Why a Female President May No Longer Be a Joke. [The Herald, UK] If you seek the traditional attitude in America to Hillary Clinton, that joke sums it up for you. Depicting the former First Lady as an ice-hearted, ruthless, manipulative, lesbian, ball-crushing seeker of power is routine in a country which, for all its democracy and its equal rights movement, remains resolutely antipathetic to putting a woman on the throne. Think Scotland's hatred of Margaret Thatcher, and double it. The big question today is: could this all be about to change? Has Hillary conquered the hatred? Could the most red-necked country on the planet finally be ready to tango with a woman? Mrs Clinton, the Senator for New York, was stunningly re-elected with almost 67% of the vote and has set herself up as a likely Democratic front-runner for the 2008 presidential nomination.

• House Set to Get its First Female Speaker. [Gulf Times, Qatar] Nancy Pelosi, a hate figure for the Republican right, is poised to become the first woman speaker in US Congressional history after the Democrats election triumph. The pro-abortion, anti-war Pelosi’s elevation to the number three position in the US Constitution is all but certain after the Democrats seized control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994. Pelosi immediately vowed the party would seek “to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history.” She also demanded a change of US policy in Iraq. “Today the American people voted for change and they voted for Democrats to take our country in a new direction,” Pelosi said at Democratic headquarters in Washington late Tuesday. “And that is exactly what we intend to do.” The prospect of the high-profile San Francisco politician assuming the high-ranking position will sicken Republican conservatives.

• Hill Demographic Goes Slightly More Female. [Washington Post] The House and Senate elections this week added at least five women to the next Congress, the only notable demographic shift in an otherwise dramatic political upheaval. For the most part, Congress will remain dominated by white men. In terms of racial demographics, neither body will see a change in numbers, but the influence of minority leaders could increase: Five blacks and one Hispanic are in line for House committee chairmanships. On the religious front, Democrats in Minnesota elected the House's first Muslim member. The congressional black population will remain unchanged at 43, with three members leaving the House and three elected to the next Congress, all Democrats -- Yvette Clarke of New York, Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Henry "Hank" Johnson Jr. of Georgia. In Senate races, black candidates did not do well. Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) was defeated in his Senate bid, as was Maryland's Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) remains the only black Senate member.

• Buckley Named First Female Nevada Assembly Speaker. [KRNV, NV] Barbara Buckley, a 46-year-old lawyer and veteran Democratic legislator from Las Vegas, has been unanimously elected speaker of the Nevada Assembly, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Buckley, chosen at a caucus last night in Las Vegas, has been an assemblywoman since 1995 and majority leader since 2001. During Tuesday's election, Democrats picked up an additional Assembly seat to increase their majority over the Republicans to 27-15. Assembly Republicans plan to meet today in Reno and were expected to name Assemblyman Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas, as their leader.

• 'Peace Mom' Arrested at White House, Delivering Petitions Opposing Military Action. [The Associated Press] Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested as she led about 50 protesters to a White House gate to deliver anti-war petitions she said were signed by 80,000 Americans. The Berkeley, California, woman, whose son was killed in Iraq more than two years ago, was arrested along with three other women on the sidewalk outside the White House gate Wednesday, said Lt. Scott Fear, a U.S. Park Police spokesman. They were charged with interfering with a government function, he said. Before she was arrested, she joined the protesters in hailing the outcome of Tuesday's elections and chanting "Stop the War" outside the gate. "It was taking too long for them to decide whether to accept them or not, so we just delivered them," said Sheehan, who waited about 15 minutes with other protesters before tossing the petitions over the fence.

• Navajo Nation Votes Today For a Female President. [Blogger News Network] The Navajo Nation is a nearly-soverign nation within our Nation that covers 27,000 square miles and extends into Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. The Navajo Nation, originally established by treaty in 1868, now has a population of over a quarter million and a central government that oversees the land use and the establishes laws. Today that nation may break tradition and elect it’s first female president. Tradition, however, is nearly sacred to many Navajos and Navajo tradition dictates a certain role for the female . . . a role that makes Lynda Lovejoy’s ascension to the presidency very unlikely. The current president of the Navajo Nation is Joe Shirley Jr. During his first four-year term as president he has focused on economic opportunity for the Navajo Nation which, although a rich nation in resources, now has an unemployment rate hovering around 50%. He hopes, if he wins reelection, to build six casinos on Navajoland to provide employment opportunities for thousands of Navajo. It is almost ironic that Lynda Lovejoy, who’s biggest opponent in this presidential race may be Navajo tradition, is more of a traditionalist than President Shirley. While Shirley is opting for a much needed economic ’shot in the arm’ for the Navajo nation Lovejoy’s platform and appeal to the voters is focused on giving the Navajo people a bigger voice in government and more control over the Nation’s resources, improving law enforcement, improving education, protecting the land and water resources of the Nation, creating jobs and providing a safety net for older Navajo.

• Bolivians Ponder a Female President. [Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada] Adults in Bolvia are split over the gender of their next head of state, according to a poll by Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado. 39% of respondents would rather have a woman as president, while 36% would prefer a man.

• Labour Needs a Woman at the Top to Win Female Votes Back. [Guardian Unlimited] America wakes up to a bright day for women in politics: the remarkable Nancy Pelosi takes over as Speaker of the House of Representatives; Hillary Clinton is riding higher than ever; numbers of women in both houses nudged up, as did women governors. Women's political profile has never been stronger. But above all, the Democrats won the women's vote overwhelmingly: women voted 55% Democrat to 43% Republican. Not since 1988 have the Democrats won so many women's votes. But over here it's another story. David Cameron owes his lead in the polls entirely to women's votes. Without them he might have a rebellion in the ranks by now. Does this augur a reversion to old voting habits? It is women who have kept Conservatives in power for most of the time since the suffragettes first won the vote. British women are odd: traditionally, in France, Germany and Italy women lean to the left and men lean rightwards; but in Britain the right only ever won on the women's vote. The suffragettes' achievement made the last century the Conservative century; are women about to do it again?

• Tories Deny Sexism After Female Hopefuls Rejected. [Exmouth Journal, UK] The Conservative Party in Budleigh has defended its selection process after two male political novices were chosen to stand at next year's district elections over two more experienced female candidates. Each district ward has three members to represent it, and last Thursday evening Budleigh's Conservative branch underwent a selection process to determine who would represent them in the Budleigh ward. Of the six applicants - two female and four male - the three chosen were all male. They are sitting councillor and East Devon District Council portfolio holder for the environment Ray Franklin and two with no political experience - Malcolm Florey, former head of Biction College, and local businessman Steve Hall. One of the two unsuccessful female candidates was a sitting Independent councillor since 2003, Lesley Roden, who had expressed a wish to cross the floor to the Conservative Party last summer.

• Natty Nicola Attracts Independent Women. [Scotland on Sunday, UK] Stateside, the fabled Soccer Moms are said to hold the key to electoral success. At Westminster, Blair's Babes have been hailed as a political weapon. Now SNP chiefs believe they have unearthed their own secret weapon: Nic's chicks. Fronted by deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon, the Nationalists claim they are gaining support among women in Scotland ahead of next year's polls in a trend they believe could propel them into power. The party has historically failed to capture the hearts of Scotland's female voters, who have been turned off by the party's tub-thumping calls for autonomy and masculine flag-waving rhetoric. Fears over the economic effects of independence are also believed to have been a concern to characteristically cautious women voters, pushing the female vote for the SNP to about 10% below support from men. But the SNP has now seized on a new poll which appears to show that there now just as many female supporters of the party as there are men. The poll also shows that support for independence is running the same among the sexes.

• What to Call Female French President? [Seattle Post Intelligencer] If Segolene Royal wins France's top job, do you call her "La Presidente" or "Le President"? The Socialist front-runner is shaking up language and the male-dominated political scene in a nation hungry for a fresh face. Royal's runaway popularity suggests that France may be at last ready to elect a female president. She faces the Socialist Party primary Thursday, which she's nearly certain to win, though she may be forced into a runoff with one of her male rivals. An unmarried mother who favors skirts and heels, she posed for a family photo shoot days after bearing her fourth child in 1992, while she was environment minister. "I do politics by looking at what I would do for my own children," she has said.

• France's Royal Chases First-Woman-President Dream. [Ireland Online, Ireland] Segolene Royal began her campaign to become France’s first woman president in style, decisively beating two rivals to wrap up the nomination for the main opposition Socialist Party in a single round of voting. Last night’s victory, which party officials announced with about 40% of votes counted, spared Royal, 53, a second round against her two rivals from the party’s old guard, former prime minister Laurent Fabius and ex-finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn. It also means she can head into the April vote claiming the often-divided opposition party is fully behind her. “The results show rather clearly the fact that there will only be one round, and we can say that Segolene Royal is already the candidate for the Socialist Party,” said Stephane Le Foll, chief of staff to the party’s general secretary.

• Chancellor Leading Charge for Change in Gender Politik. [Scotsman, UK] A year in power, Angela Merkel, the German leader, is now a global icon, writes Emma Cowing. "Anyone who really has something to say doesn't need make-up." So said the woman who has recently been declared the world's most powerful female. But in the 12 months since Angela Merkel was elected chancellor of Germany, almost everything she has said - in public, at least - has been delivered from plum colored lips, accompanied by expertly applied eyeliner, and more than a hint of blusher.

• Economy Up, Unemployment Down - but Merkel's Rating Sags. [The Associated Press] Since Angela Merkel became chancellor almost a year ago, things have brightened for Germany, with growth up and unemployment at a four-year low. In just a few weeks, she will lead the European Union's rotating presidency, putting her country at the center of the continent's affairs. So why are has the public lost so much of their earlier enthusiasm for Germany's first female chancellor — and for the left-right "grand coalition" between her conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats? A once-brilliant honeymoon with voters put her at 80% approval in February after high-profile foreign visits following her swearing-in Nov. 22, 2005 — including a trip to Washington where she won nods of approval back home by shaking George W. Bush's hand, then telling him to close Guantanamo. Since then, she has fallen to 47% in a survey by the Infratest dimap group, with a slight majority — 52% — of the 1,000 people surveyed disapproving of her performance, with the margin of error 1.4 to 3.1% plus or minus.

• Government Eyes Mentor System to Nurture Female Staffers. [The Daily Yomiuri, Japan] The government is to introduce a mentor system under which experienced public servants will act as advisers to juniors as part of a scheme to increase the number of female employees serving in senior positions in central government. Female employees tend not to advance to become senior officials as many abandon their careers to marry or raise children. The government is hoping to increase the number of senior female staffers by counseling them on career path options and how to continue with their careers. The envisioned mentor system would create an environment in which women will find it easier to continue working. The National Personnel Authority has already introduced the system on a trial basis, and the government plans to introduce the system in all ministries and agencies before March 2011.

• Prime Minister Among Seven 'Women Who Rule'. [Chosun Ilbo, South Korea] Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook has been named one of the world’s seven great women leaders, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal. The French women’s magazine Marie Claire’s U.S. edition selected her as one of the seven 'Women Who Rule,' the Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday. In addition to the three ladies already mentioned, the magazine chose Chile's first woman president Michelle Bachelet, Jamaica's Prime Minister-designate and Minister of Local Government, Community Development & Sport Portia Simpson Miller, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Of particular note is that Prime Minister Han was placed in the “Rising Stars” category along with Segolene Royal, who hopes to become France’s first woman president, and Foreign Minister Livni of Israel. Michelle Bachelet was praised for helping break down the gender barriers in Chile and labeled a “Survivor” by the magazine. Portia Miller was the “Populist,” President of Liberia Johnson-Sirleaf was the “Prodigal Daughter” and Merkel was called an “Outsider.” 

• Top UN Official Visits Myanmar; Expected to Meet Suu Kyi. [Hindustan Times, India] A senior UN official arrived in Myanmar on Thursday for a widely watched visit that the United Nations has said will include a meeting with detained Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, who was granted a rare opportunity to meet with Suu Kyi during his last visit in May, was also scheduled to meet Myanmar's leaders for talks on human rights during his four-day visit to the military-ruled nation. Suu Kyi has been kept in near solitary confinement at her lakeside home in Yangon, and is generally not allowed outside visitors or telephone contact. Western nations and the United Nations have repeatedly called for Suu Kyi's release.

• Nigeria's First Female State Governor Sworn into Office. [The Associated Press] A southeast Nigerian state swore in the country's first female governor Friday, but her predecessor still occupied the office and claimed the post, state radio said. Virgy Etiaba was sworn in as governor of Anambra State on Friday to replace former Gov. Peter Obi, who was impeached by state legislators Thursday on corruption charges, Radio Nigeria reported.

• Men or Not, I’m Out to Win and Rescue Bayelsa People. [Vanguard, Nigeria] Men or not, I’m out to win and rescue Bayelsa people — Enemieseifa, female governorship aspirant. MRS Sako Enemieseifa is a female gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for  Bayelsa State. The governorship race in the state seems to be more interesting as Assayomo Enemieseifa is the only female contender. She, however, believes that as a woman, she has what it takes to outwit the other male contenders.

• Falode Denies Women's Election. [AllAfrica.com] CAF media Officer, Aisha Falode laughed off speculations in certain quarters that she contested and lost the election as President of the newly formed African Women Sports Reporters, describing it as the joke of the year. "There was no election but selection and distribution of offices to countries. I protested against it when they offered Nigeria the position of first Vice President," Falode, who was the CAF Media officer for the African Women's Championship, explained.

• ANC women call for head of Goniwe. [Business Day, South Africa] In an unprecedented move, the African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League yesterday demanded the head of the party’s chief whip, Mbulelo Goniwe, following a meeting of its national working committee, which studied a report regarding sexual harassment allegations made against him. This comes amid calls for Goniwe’s suspension by the ANC’s women’s caucus in Parliament over the weekend after a 21-year-old assistant accused him of sexual harassment. According to weekend news reports, Goniwe asked his female assistant to prepare food for guests. She alleged that Goniwe then asked her have sex with him.

• Sudanese Refugee Women Train for Political Leadership. [Voice of America] Mary Okumu is a U.N. consultant on gender issues that are active in promoting women’s roles in peace making. Okumu is also the executive director of “El Taller,” a human rights group working in East Africa that plays an active role in mediation, conflict resolution, health education and survival skills. She also provides training for Sudanese women living in refugee camps in Kenya and Sudan. Okumu said the training includes developing an understanding of conflict situations they’re involved in, and the human rights issues within those situations, in addition to learning how to survive and to meet family needs. Okumu said as part of the training she explains that women do not have to be victims and war spectators, and that they can do something to protect themselves while caring for their families. She said she teaches them “how to value one another, how to value respect, and also to understand the root causes of war.” Okumu said the training has effectively expanded civil society’s participation in negotiating peace.

• Women's 'Tough-Love' Protest Demands Change. [AllAfrica.com] Love. That's the key ingredient of a Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) strategy to unseat the Mugabe regime. Miriam Madziwa reports. Women in Zimbabwe are taking to the streets to show their frustration with poor governance, lack of basic social services, and unprecedented increases in the cost of education. In the process, police have arrested nearly 1000 women members of the pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), for their attempts to hold their leaders accountable. This past October, WOZA members scored three legal victories after the State failed to substantiate its charges against the some of the women arrested while demonstrating, prompting the magistrates to set the women free. Others have not been as successful. Some women spend months detained in filthy police cells, sometimes with babies on their backs, attending continually postponed hearings while the prosecution teams try to find charges that will stick. Some have gone into labour while in police detention.

• Zimbabwean Women Demand Fair Half Share Of Leadership Posts. [Voice of America] Women activists are urging Harare to uphold its commitment to boost participation by women at all levels of political leadership and decision-making, and will underscore their point with a march in the Zimbabwean capital on Thursday. Director Rutendo Hadebe of the Women in Politics and Support Unit said women hold only 22% of leadership positions though the government has signed a Southern African Development Community declaration calling for women to hold half such jobs. Her organization has planned the march in Harare to launch its 50-50 Campaign. The group is also urging Harare to ratify an African Union protocol that calls on member nations to implement the principle of equal representation for women.

• Afghanistan’s Only Female Minister Presses for Women’s Rights. [Boston Herald] Five years after the Taliban’s fall, women aren’t beaten if they leave home without a male relative. Girls can go to school, and a quarter of Afghan parliamentarians are women - as mandated by law. But life remains bleak: Many women and girls face domestic violence and forced marriage in this conservative, violence-plagued country. In many provinces where the government wields little power, life for women remains as it was during the rule of the Taliban. “We’ve had three decades of war in Afghanistan, which have had very bad consequences for women,” Minister for Women’s Affairs Hussn Banu Ghazanfar said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It takes time to solve these problems.”

• Suspected Taliban Attack on Female Legislator, Husband Killed. [Zee News, India] Suspected Taliban gunmen on motorbikes ambushed a female provincial councilor’s car in southern Afghanistan, killing her husband, police said today. The attackers struck as Legislator Zarghona Kakar and her husband stopped at the traditional roadside bakery in Kandahar province yesterday, Provincial Police Chief Esmatullah Alizai said. Kakar was unhurt but the gunmen mowed down her husband as he left the car to buy bread, he said. "Police have launched a serious investigation into the incident but have not arrested anyone so far. The men who carried out the attack covered their faces and were not recognized," Alizai told. Alizai blamed the "enemies of Afghanistan" for the attack. Afghan officials use the term to refer to the Islamist Taliban movement that has been leading an increasingly violent insurgency since being ousted in late 2001. Kakar is one of three women in the male-dominated council for Kandahar province, which was the birthplace for the Taliban regime.

• Women and Bahrain's Election. [Voice of America] Bahrain will hold parliamentary and municipal elections on November 25th. Because eighteen women are running in the elections and one is unopposed, the vote will result in the Gulf region's first female parliamentarian. In October 2002, Bahrain held its first parliamentary election in decades. There was strong participation by female voters in that election, but none of the female candidates won a seat. U.S. Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes says that Bahrain's upcoming parliamentary elections will be a milestone. Ms. Hughes recently visited Bahrain and met with women candidates. During a news conference in the capital, Manama, she said the country's elections are becoming "more inclusive." Speaking about the women candidates she met, she said: "They are articulate. They are intelligent. They are very impressive. . . .I feel very good about the future of Bahrain."

• Government, MMA Brace for Battle in Senate: Women’s Rights Bill. [Pakistan Dawn, Pakistan] The Senate meets on Tuesday to begin a new session called mainly to pass the women's rights bill in what would be a replay of the battle in the National Assembly. But the Protection of Women’s Rights (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, passed by the National Assembly on Nov 15, could be put on hold until Wednesday as the opening sitting is likely to be brief and adjourn to mourn the death for ex-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. As had happened in the National Assembly earlier this month, even the Fateha for the former president could turn into a row if the opposition pressed for a similar prayer for 83 people killed in the Oct 30 missile strike on a madressah in Bajaur and 42 army recruits killed on Nov 8 in a suicide bombing on a parade ground at Dargai. Although the government has planned to put the Protection of Women’s Rights Bill on the top of its legislative agenda in the Senate, opposition leader Raza Rabbani told Dawn on Monday his side would seek a debate on the Bajaur and Dargai attacks to be held first rather than wait for a separate opposition-called session.

• Saudi Mulls Allowing Women to Run, Vote in Municipal Polls. [Zee News, India] Saudi Arabia is considering allowing women to run and vote in municipal elections, the Kingdom's Interior Minister said in an interview published on Tuesday in a Kuwaiti newspaper. "We will look into the possibility of women's participation in municipal elections in the coming period," prince Naif told al-Anba daily in an interview in the Saudi capital Riyadh. He said such participation would give women the "ability to discuss their problems and find solutions for them." The oil-rich kingdom adheres to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and women are not allowed to drive or to vote and run in municipal elections -- the only type of election permitted in the country. Asked if women in Saudi would be allowed to acquire driving licenses, the prince said "driving a car in our desert areas with neighborhoods far apart puts the lives of women in danger and this is something we do not accept as officials responsible for them."