Islam Bibi (,; 1974 – 4 July 2013) was a female police officer in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

in the

Helmand province Helmand (Pashto language, Pashto/Dari language, Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering ...

Headquarters and also a pioneer in the fight for feminism. She was the highest ranking policewoman at the time of her death in Afghanistan and led operations against the

Talibans {{Infobox war faction , name = Taliban , native_name = طَالِبَانْ (Tālibān) , native_name_lang = ps , war = {{plainlist, * War in Afghanistan * War on Terror , image = Flag of Taliba ...

. She received numerous death threats and was assassinated on 4 July 2013.

Life

Bibi was born in

Kunduz province Kunduz () is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northern part of the country next to Tajikistan. The population of the province is around 1,136,677, which is mostly a tribal society; it is one of Afghanistan's most ethnically ...

in 1974. She was a refugee in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in the 1990s. She returned to Afghanistan in 2001, then set about raising her family at home before joining the police against her family's will. This prompted her brother to try to kill her because he wanted to save the honor of the family name. Bibi joined the police force in 2003 and quickly moved to the position of second

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

reporting directly to CID leadership which was an extraordinary achievement. She was the highest-ranking policewoman at that time and received many death threats. She led one of the largest police female squadrons in Afghanistan that chases after the Taliban, searching for costumed suicide bombers in burqas. They were first to break into any house during a search in women's areas where male police officers are not allowed. As police officers, they cover their faces with black scarves, wear thick boots, and in some cases choose to wear men's uniforms.

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

says that female police officers often experience sexual harassment and verbal abuse by their male counterparts, in part because they lack even basic facilities. There are very few female restrooms at all police stations in Afghanistan, and women who use men's restrooms are highly vulnerable to harassment.

Death

Bibi was shot when she left her home on the morning of 4 July 2013. She was attacked while riding a motorcycle with her son-in-law in

Lashkar Gah Lashkargāh (; ), historically called Bost or Boost (), is a city in southwestern Afghanistan and the capital of Helmand Province. It is located in Lashkargah District, where the Arghandab River merges into the Helmand River. The city has a po ...

, the capital of Helmand province. Bibi was wounded and died of her injuries in the hospital emergency room. No investigation has been launched to find out who was responsible for the shooting.

References

External links

AWID: Islam Bibi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bibi, Islam 1974 births 2013 deaths Afghan police officers Assassinated Afghan people Assassinated police officers Deaths by firearm in Afghanistan Female murder victims Incidents of violence against women Pashtun women People killed by the Taliban People murdered in Afghanistan Unsolved murders in Afghanistan Violence against women in Afghanistan Women police officers 21st-century police officers Pashtun police officers

Life

Death

See also

References

External links