From CDHR
January 11, 2008
Bhutto’s Assassination sends a Shrill Message
By Ali Alyami
The assassination of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, is a great tragedy for Pakistan, for pro-democracy Muslims, and especially for Muslim women worldwide. With all of her shortcomings, Bhutto was pro-democracy and adamantly opposed to any tolerance of extremists. Due to the nature of her beliefs and her firm stance on democracy, Bhutto had become very close to the West. She was a shining symbol for Muslim women in general, but especially in places like Saudi Arabia, where women have no rights under the Saudi-Wahhabi Shariah law. From all reports, it is evident that Bhutto’s assassination was very well-orchestrated. The media and other analytical consultants in the United States and the West rushed into exonerating Musharraf’s government from having a hand in Bhutto’s murder. This habitual rush to judgment overlooks very basic facts and possibilities. The political pundits argue that Musharraf had nothing to gain from Bhutto’s death. Firstly, this argument lacks an understanding of the ways in which dictators have historically disposed of their opponents. Dictators rarely spare any efforts at eliminating possible threats or opponents to their regimes, regardless of who gets hurt, even if this puts the well-being of the entire country and its people at risk. In addition, Musharraf, either on his own or with encouragement from friendly Muslim governments, may have concluded his position would drastically be weakened if Bhutto won election in a big way. Moreover, Musharraf may have wanted to get back at the West, specifically the United States and England, for having pressured him to allow Bhutto to come back and challenge him in popular elections. Finally, other Muslim dictators may have encouraged Musharraf to get rid of Bhutto because of fears that her victory would encourage pro-democracy advocates, especially women in their countries to demand their rights.
When Bhutto returned to Pakistan in October of 2007, she was met with open hearts and arms by many Pakistanis who, over time, had become disillusioned by Musharraf’s military rule. Furthermore, when Bhutto started campaigning, she discovered that her popularity among Pakistanis exceeded even her greatest expectations. She made a colossal mistake by calling on Musharraf to step aside in order to pave the way for a government under her Pakistan Peoples Party. Musharraf resented her move and more so, resented the West for having forced him to let Bhutto return. Musharraf was not the only party threatened by Bhutto’s popularity. The Saudi royal family, who had been hosting former Prime Minister and Bhutto’s competitor, Nawaz Sharif (ousted in a military coup by Musharraf eight years prior) was scared that Bhutto would win the election. Her ascendance to Pakistan’s high office would weaken the Saudi-Wahhabi strong religious, political and economic influence in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the rest of Central Asia. The Saudis summoned Musharraf in November of 2007 and talked him into allowing former Prime Minister Sharif to return to and run for the top job in Pakistan against Bhutto, whom the Saudis loathe. Three days after Musharraf’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Sharif was on his way to Pakistan. This is a very suspicious turn of events, because when Sharif showed up in Pakistan in October he was rebuffed by Musharraf and sent back to Saudi Arabia in the same plane that carried him to Pakistan.
The repercussions of Bhutto’s assassination could be catastrophic for pro-democracy Arabs and Muslims and for millions of aspiring Muslim women worldwide. Arab and Muslim dictators will continue to murder their pro-democracy opponents (enemies) as well as liberals and seculars, whom they fear more than terrorists and extremists. Sadly and dangerously, the West cooperates with these dictators, whose legitimacy and ability to stay in power depend on the presence and continuity of the same extremists they claim to be fighting against.