Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Benazir Bhutto

Pakistani Politician, Prime Minister

"Every dictator uses religion as a prop to keep himself in power."

"What is not recorded is not remembered."

"My life has been a long pilgrimage to the highest goal of total service to humanity... Life is lived once and must be lived fully to justify one’s creation."

"All through the years of the Soviet empire, its Politburo held 'elections.' Of course, calling something an election and actually having it be an election are different things."

"Americans began with a president [Richard M. Nixon] who couldn't tell a lie and now they have one who can't tell the truth."

"A people inspired by democracy, human rights and economic opportunity will turn their back decisively against extremism."

"All our problems, all our disputes, all our disagreements can be resolved quickly to mutual satisfaction if we address the question."

"As a woman leader, I thought I brought a different kind of leadership. I was interested in women's issues, in bringing down the population growth rate... as a woman, I entered politics with an additional dimension - that of a mother."

"And I have found that those who do achieve peace never acquiesce to obstacles, especially those constructed of bigotry, intolerance, and inflexible tradition."

"And also I was brought up to believe that human beings are good, which is why it shocks me to the core when I see human beings behaving badly."

"America's greatest contribution to the world is its concept of democracy, its concept of freedom, freedom of action, freedom of speech, and freedom of thought."

"Being nice should never be perceived as being weak. It's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of courtesy, manners, grace, a woman's ability to make everyone...feel at home, and it should never be construed as weakness....."

"As I've said before, this is not the life I chose; it chose me ... But I accepted the responsibility and I've never wavered in my commitment"

"Clearly it's not easy for women in modern society, no matter where they live. We still have to go the extra mile to prove that we are equal to men. we have to work longer hours and make more sacrifices. And we must emotionally protect ourselves from unfair, often vicious attacks made on us via the male members of our family."

"Benazir Bhutto Democracy, Military, Pay The United Nations charter gives every nation the right to self-defense, therefore when the American embassies were bombed it was a matter of time before the Americans responded by going for what they suspected were the causes of the attack."

"Bhutto represents everything the fundamentalists hate - a powerful, highly-educated woman operating in a man's world, seemingly unafraid to voice her independent views and, indeed, seemingly unafraid of anything, including the very real possibility that one day someone might succeed in killing her because of who she is."

"dangerous, repressive era with a man (Sharif) who has his finger on a nuclear button."

"Benazir Bhutto doesn't cease to exist the moment she gets married. I am not giving myself away. I belong to myself and I always shall."

"Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism."

"Despite threats of death, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but rather lead the fight against it"

"Democracy is the best revenge."

"Democracy needs support and the best support for democracy comes from other democracies. Democratic nations should come together in an association designed to help each other and promote what is a universal value -- democracy."

"Don't worry; I'm going to be safe, and God willing I'm going to be safe"

"Extremism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness create the desperation that fuels religious extremism."

"Freedom is not an end. Freedom is a beginning."

"Given the right to a free ballot, the people would support my return."

"General Musharraf needs my participation to give credibility to the electoral process, as well as to respect the fundamental right of all those who wish to vote for me."

"He is highly unpopular, ... because people in our country blame the military for destabilizing civilian government."

"I am here after four years and I see a lot of changes around."

"I am planning to return and contest the October elections in Pakistan."

"I am constitutionally competent to contest the elections."

"I dream ...of a world where we can commit our social resources to the development of human life and not to its destruction"

"I find that whenever I am in power, or my father was in power, somehow good things happen. The economy picks up, we have good rains, water comes, people have crops. I think the reason this happens is that we want to give love and we receive love."

"I found that a whole series of people opposed me simply on the grounds that I was a woman. The clerics took to the mosque saying that Pakistan had thrown itself outside the Muslim world and the Muslim umar by voting for a woman, that a woman had usurped a man's place in the Islamic society."

"I believe that democracies do not go to war; that's the lesson of history, and I think that a democratic Pakistan is the world community's best guarantee of stability in Asia."

"I don?t fear death. I remember my last meeting with my father when he told me, "You know, tonight when I will be killed, my mother and my father will be waiting for me." It makes me weepy? but I don?t think it can happen unless God wants it to happen because so many people have tried to kill me."

"I fully understand the men behind Al Qaeda. They have tried to assassinate me twice before. The Pakistan Peoples Party and I represent everything they fear the most ? moderation, democracy, equality for women, information, and technology. We represent the future of a modern Pakistan, a future that has no place in it for ignorance, intolerance, and terrorism. The forces of moderation and democracy must, and will, prevail against extremism and dictatorship. I will not be intimidated. I will step out on the tarmac in Karachi not to complete a journey, but to begin one. Despite threats of death, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but rather lead the fight against it."

"I know death comes. I've seen too much death, young death."

"I have led an unusual life. I have buried a father killed at age 50 and two brothers killed in the prime of their lives. I raised my children as a single mother when my husband was arrested and held for eight years without a conviction - a hostage to my political career."

"I really do think that there is at least some degree of causality that most major terrorist attacks took place when the extremists did not have to deal with a democratic Pakistani government, when they operated without check and oversight. I believe that if my government had not been destabilized in Pakistan in 1996, the Taleban could not have allowed Osama bin Laden to set up base in Afghanistan, openly recruit and train young men from all over the Muslim world and declare war on America in 1998."

"I put my life in danger and came here because I feel this country is in danger. People are worried. We will bring the country out of this crisis."

"I seek to lead a democratic Pakistan which is free from the yoke of military dictatorship and that will cease to be a haven, the very petri dish of international terrorism."

"I was a very shy girl who led an insulated life; it was only when I came to Oxford, and to Harvard before that, that suddenly I saw the power of people. I didn't know such a power existed, I saw people criticizing their own president; you couldn't do that in Pakistan - you'd be thrown in prison."

"I was brought up to believe that human beings are good, which is why it shocks me to the core when I see human beings behaving badly."

"If the people vote for my party and parliament elects me as prime minister, it would be an honour for me to take up that role and General Musharraf would be there as president, so I think that a good working relationship between him and me would be a necessity for Pakistan? I would have the choice of either respecting the will of the people and making it a success or being short-sighted and putting my personal feelings about past events ahead of the national interest, and what I want more than anything is for Pakistan to prosper as we make a transition to democracy"

"If they only showed this much spunk when it came to containing the terrorists I don't think we would have such a problem."

"In 1988, when democracy was restored, the military establishment was still very powerful. The extremist groups were still there. And when the aid and assistance to Pakistan was cut, we had to adopt harsh economic policies. So in a way, it showed that democracy doesn't pay, and the military was able to reassert itself."

"I'm not into smoke-filled rooms. I don't have the time for byzantine political intrigues."

"It is one thing being able to contest an election and to give the people hope that I can be the next prime minister. It is a totally different situation where the people of Pakistan are told that the results are already taken and the leader of your choice is banned."

"In distinguishing between Islamic teachings and social taboos, we must remember that Islam forbids injustice; Injustice against people, against nations, against women. It shuns race, color, and gender as a basis of distinction amongst fellowmen. It enshrines piety as the sole criteria for judging humankind."