"The enemies of Afghanistan must understand that we have millions of
people like [Ama Jan] who will continue to serve this great
nation," he said.
Ama Jan, a provincial director for the Ministry of
Women's Affairs, was slain outside her home in the southern
city of Kandahar, said Tawfiq ul-Ulhakim Parant, senior
adviser to the women's ministry in Kabul. Mullah Sadullah, a
regional Taliban commander, asserted responsibility for the
killing.
"The enemy of Afghanistan killed her, but they should
know it will not derail women from the path we are on,"
Fariba Ahmedi, a parliament member, said at Ama Jan's
funeral in a packed Shiite Muslim mosque.
In a statement, Laura Bush expressed sympathy and said
the killing showed "how the struggle to end terrorism is
also a struggle to preserve the fundamental rights and
dignity of women."
Ama Jan's death comes at a time of rising violence at the
hands of Taliban fighters. This month, a suicide bomber
assassinated a provincial governor, and militants killed 19
construction workers. Attacks on schools are also
increasing. Militants last year burned down or attacked 146
schools, and this year have attacked 158 schools, an
official said.
The school attacks appear motivated partly by Taliban
opposition to education for girls, but they also seem to be
part of a broader strategy to undermine Karzai's U.S.-backed
government.
Bush applauded Ama Jan's education efforts. "By educating
its women, Afghanistan will produce more inspiring leaders
like Safia Ama Jan -- women willing to risk everything to
see their country peaceful and free," she said.
Ama Jan, who was said to be in her sixties, was urged to
quit her work by her family because of the growing danger,
said her son, Naqibullah. "She said, 'It's my country, I
won't quit my job. I want to do this work for our women, for
our country,' " he said.
In Kandahar alone, Ama Jan had opened six schools where
almost 1,000 women learned how to bake and sell their goods
at market. She also taught them to use computers.