Afghan TV host tosses her burka; murdered by brothers?

Afghan TV host's kin suspects in her slaying

Shaima Rezayee was a hit with youth, but condemned by clerics.
AP 2005-05-21 02:38:53

KABUL -- A ground-breaking Afghan television host whose Western style drew praise from youthful fans and condemnation from Muslim clerics may have been slain with involvement from her own brothers, police said yesterday.

Shaima Rezayee, 24, who tossed aside her burka for Western dress and became a host on an MTV-style music show, knew her life was in danger, according to a radio interview she gave not long before she was shot in the head at her Kabul home Wednesday.

Her slaying highlights the struggle between urban young people and their conservative elders for the future of Afghanistan and its Islamic values. Television and radio stations such as the one that featured Rezayee -- often importing music and styles from other countries -- have been probing the boundaries of acceptability.

Rezayee, like other young Afghan women, was denied schooling and forced to wear the burka in public until the Taliban regime was ousted by the U.S. invasion in late 2001. The Taliban also banned music, including humming on the street.

In the years since, several private television and radio stations have started broadcasting. Many operate under tight security, aware of criticism from religious leaders who oppose women in Western dress, women working or women singing publicly.

The station that featured Rezayee, Tolo TV, has in particular drawn fire. In March, the country's council of Islamic scholars criticized Tolo and other stations for "programs opposed to Islam and national values."

Jamil Khan, head of the criminal investigation department for Kabul police, declined to comment on a possible motive for the killing, but said police would question Rezayee's two brothers after mourning ceremonies conclude early next week.

"We suspect family members may be involved in the murder," he said. He didn't elaborate.