The international situation is deteriorating. The Muslim world is deeply divided, largely ruled by self-interested elites devoid of concern for its people. This year between April and July the Muslim countries of Pakistan and Niger were subject to coups.
Imran Khan.
Removal of Imran Khan
Imran Khan, with his support for the independence of Pakistan, for democracy, disrupted the political pattern of the Bhuttos and Sharifs with periodic military takeovers.
According to Craig Murray, British Ambassador to Uzbekistan to October 2004 the military accepted him as the drone killings by the US in Pakistan and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the atrocities of the war on terror: “… “it was temporarily not in the interests of the Pakistan military to foreground their deep relationship with the CIA and US military. “
Khan’s greatest sin was …”he supported the developing country movement to move trading away from the petrodollar. He accordingly sought to switch Pakistan’s oil suppliers from the Gulf states to Russia.” [Craig Murray, 7 August 2023]
This led to a meeting between State Department officials, including Donald Lu, and Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, on 7 March 2022.
A report of the secret meeting was given to The Intercept by a Pakistan military source.
The day before the meeting, Khan had addressed a rally responding to European calls that Pakistan rally behind Ukraine.
“What do you think of us? That we are your slaves and that we will do whatever you ask of us?”
“We are friends of Russia, and we are also friends of the United States. We are friends of China and Europe.” [Intercept, 9 August 2023]
One month after the meeting, a no-confidence vote was held in Parliament, removing Khan from power.
On 5 August 2023 Khan was sentenced to three years in prison.
The Coup in Niger
The July military coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, was condemned by the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS), the African Union, the European Union and the United States of America.
ECOWAS issued an ultimatum for Niger to restore the president or face military intervention.
Chandra Muzaffar, president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), explained the huge continuing demonstrations supporting the coup.
“The people see the coup as an attempt to end continuous Western …exploitation and dominance of Niger. Niger, once a French colony, is rich in natural resources, uranium, oil and gold. Its uranium industry for instance is owned and operated by a so-called joint venture, between Niger and France…”
Only 15% is owned by Niger’s government.”
A third of French electricity relies on uranium from Niger but 75 to 80 percent of people in that country have no access to electricity.
The French Treasury also has effective control of Niger’s currency, along with other French ex-colonies. [Islamic Renaissance Front, 10 August 2023]
President Bazoum was seen as a puppet despite his election.
According to Chris Nineham one of the National Officers of the Stop the War Coalition in the UK: “Democracy in the Sub-region is a fig-leaf for increasing authoritarian rule and exploitation benefitting a very thin layer of the elite.”
“Elections are rigged, opposition candidates are embroiled in all sorts of legal shenanigans which prevent them from participating in the electoral process and vote buying is rife.“ [Counterfire, 8 August 2023]
Washington is prepared to negotiate with the coup leaders but Franc is not. [Politico, 18 August 2023]
There is thus a balance of power struggle between the USA and France and the possibility that China and Russia with its Wagner network will benefit from the situation.
The common theme of the two coups is not that democratic governance has been overthrown, as neither Niger nor Pakistan can be understood as democracies.
It is the message that the tentacles of Western imperialism were not cut off after the Second World War as the propaganda claims.
They may have been weakened and forced to try subterfuge and spin, but the cost to the residents of the nations subjected to such rule is real.
That, it is still the Muslim majority countries which are subject to this oppression, is food for thought.
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