Mo hearts Mugabe

Mohamed Elmasry defends a non-Muslim tyrant, for once:

Mugabe was trying to implement a land reform; to redistribute the land of some 5,000 white farmers to his country poor black people. And that is a great sin. So he was and still called in the West a dictator, an arrogant, aging autocrat who has run the economy into the ground, fanned racial hatred and abused his power to suppress political foes, the courts and media, etc. etc.

Western media seldom reports that Mugabe was and still is popular especially in the rural areas; his land reform has won him support among his own people. When Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, 70 per cent of the country's farm land was in the hand of 5,000 European settler landowners.

[...]

Following the presidential elections in March this year the opposition claimed Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) a winner with 50.1 % of the votes. The government claimed it was a tie.

Mugabe decided to hold a reelection last month. But Tsvangirai pulled out and sought refuge in the Dutch Embassy which to some observers is a proof that he is a stooge of Western powers.

Back in 2002 Mugabe defeated Tsvangirai at the polls; Mugabe secured 56 per cent of the vote, Tsvangirai 42 per cent.

Zimbabwe was once among the most promising economies of Africa. The country is rich in mineral resources and has the second-largest deposits of platinum.

But thanks to Western sanctions the country's economy is in ruins. High inflation, high fuel costs and high unemployment are crippling the economy. Millions of Zimbabweans have fled their country for economic reasons, three million in neighbouring South Africa. [emphasis added; via BigCityLib]

He didn't say Mugabe's opponents are legitimate targets for terror, but the temptation must have been overwhelming.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at July 4, 2008 09:25 AM