My friend Raymond Baguma today told me about a common joke in Pakistan; It goes; what is the difference between God and Musharraf? Answer: God does not think he is Musharraf.Following today's events; the grissly assasination of this lady politician, Bhenazir Bhutto, am beginning to think those who coined that joke may after all have been serious.
You may also be wondering what Jesus' image is doing in this piece meant to examine how man is slowly destroying fellow man but remember this is the Christmas season--the time when those of us who profess Christianity are out there preaching love and unity. Trying to revive the principles and values that this Son of God, 2007 years ago, belaboured to drum into our skulls with his spot-on proverbs.
I mean, at this time when we are glorifying the Messiah's birth, the last thing we should be seeing on our screens is Man creating a carnage of fellow man. But again, we are talking about man here.
So, Bhutto, is shot in the head after addressing a rally, 15 other lives are claimed in the process and the suicide bomber takes his life too. Fingers may point to the Islamic fundamentalists operating in Pakistan but i want to think otherwise. Global media (of course with US orchestration) is going to tell people how Bhutto, became a victim of the Al qaeda and other hardline islamic groups but i beg to differ.'The other view' strongly believes that the demise of this woman has everything to do with Pervez Musharaff. And i will not even attempt to sound academic here. Let's just ask a simple question; who stands to gain most with Bhutto reduced into past tense?
The Islamists have nothing great to gain. When Bhutto ascended the Premier throne at the age of 35 in 1988, she was never engaged in anti-Islam politics. Not even with the reduction in the Afghan war that the US had used Osama to suppress Russian influence.
When she was deposed in 1990 and re-elected in 1993, and again deposed in 1996, she had not taken any radical stance against the Islamists. So, the question is; why would a woman, who when in power never threatened the radical Islamic movement be such a threat to them this time round whe she is running for power?
We all know that the biggest threat to the fanatical Islamic movement in Asia at least is Musharraf. He entered an agreement with the US to use Pakistan as a bumper state against the Al qaeda. If there is anyone the islamists would love to skin alive, it would be Musharaff, not Bhutto.
So, the finger of accusation points in one direction. Musharraf was behind Bhutto's assasination. And try as i may, i find it hard to absolve America. Bhutto's return to Pakistan had posed a real threat to Musharraf's hold unto power. Her rallies were electrifying, with thousands turning up and literally worshipping her. The writing on the wall was clear for Musharraf---come January 8, he was heading for defeat at the ballot. And for the US, they were just not sure whether this woman would have the mettle enough to be duped as a US puppet the way Musharraf had been pocketed.
It was therefore a case of hanging on with the devil you know than court the angel you are not aware of. Of course there will a some tears, diplomatic statements condemning the act and it will return to business as usual. Musharaff doing the dirty work for the US. The biggest losers here are the Pakistanis, who in Bhutto, saw a hope of an 'independent' country.
Of course in my mind continues to ring this statement she made a week to her assasination:
"I put my life in danger and came here because I feel this country is in danger. People are worried. We will bring the country out of this crisis."
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