“I have led an unusual life,” she wrote in the Washington Post in September 2007. “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 made my choice when the mantle of political leadership was thrust upon my shoulders after my father's murder. I did not shrink from responsibility then, and I will not shrink from it now.”

Benazir Bhutto was the first democratically elected leader of a Muslim country. Since that time she watched her country weave between dictatorship and democracy, free elections, rigged elections, and no elections at all. Commenting on the rise in religious fundamentalism, she wrote, “Religious fundamentalists have never been a significant part of our political consciousness. We are inherently a centrist, moderate nation.” Benazir Bhutto’s goal upon returning to her country was to save democracy by mobilizing Pakistan’s moderate middle to stand up to fanaticism. “I return to lead that battle” she wrote.

Bhutto felt, “Democracy offers the best hope of containing extremism.” She criticized Pakistan for a flawed electoral system and saw rebuilding this broken political institution as key to resolving the central issue facing Pakistan, moderation vs. extremism.

In August 2007, reflecting on her time as a leader, Bhutto told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York that she regretted not being more “nurturing” while in power. “The people wanted me to be there as a woman leader,” she said. Commenting on her previous two terms as Pakistan’s Prime Minister, she observed, “I wish I had focused more on that than on the more militaristic notions.”

Benazir Bhutto was not only a great hope for many in Pakistan, but a great hope for all places where democracy is threatened and extremism is on the rise. As the Al Jazeera article said, “In her death, Pakistan may have lost its most potent political player, who remained at least for its vast moderate and secular population, their best hope.”

In touring the nation, Bhutto knew her life was in danger. She called on the government of Pakistan to supply more protection and more security. Although she felt her requests were not adequately responded to, she continued to meet her supporters at rallies, despite the numerous threats to her life, despite her intimate knowledge of the very real consequences of both politics and terror.

Benazir Bhutto concluded her last article in the Washington Post by saying, “When my flight lands in Pakistan next month, I know I will be greeted with joy by the people. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically, once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan's place in the community of democratic nations.”

At The WIP we are stunned by the death of Benazir Bhutto. We followed her from exile back to Pakistan and did our best to understand both her history and her fight. We’ve tried to post articles reporting her obstacles and her opposition in order to get a clearer picture of Pakistan, its people, and its politics. The loss of Benazir Bhutto is a tragedy for democracy everywhere and, at the same time, motivation to never stop fighting for what we believe in. It is now up to the people of Pakistan and all the democracies of the world to continue to fight this fight.