Iran and Zimbabwe “think alike” and “should fight against Western superpowers and their evil systems”, President Robert Mugabe was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
The Zimbabwean leader, who is on a four-day state visit to Iran aimed at bolstering political and business ties, said his country and Iran had to come together and work out “mechanisms for defending ourselves”, according to Zimbabwe’s state-controlled Herald newspaper.
Mugabe’s land reform program (seizing white-owned farms for redistribution to new black farmers), matched with allegations of election fraud in 2000 & 2002 (which without being an apologist for Mugabe, America has no moral upper hand in critiquing) and political repression have earned Zimbabwe coveted membership in Condoleezza Rice’s illustrious ‘outpost of the tyranny‘ club. Joining such stars as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Belarus and Myanmar, Zimbabwe became officially ‘evil’ and has been subject to a the host of diplomatic pressures to surgically remove Mugabe from office. It seems as if this club has the ability to bring together kindred spirits as Zimbabwe and Iran are joining forces to challenge Western hegemony. During Mugabe’s four day visit to Iran this week, Iran and Zimbabwe signed five memoranda of understanding to boost agricultural, energy, development aid, economic, technical and education cooperation.
Zimbabwe having faced recent and sustained international pressure through economic sanctions, arm restrictions, and travel restrictions in response to human rights abuses and election irregularities is being isolated into acquiescence. These economic sanctions which amount to economic warfare against the people of Zimbabwe more than non-violent diplomatic attempts to sway leaders of Zimbabwe are oft cited as the reason behind human rights abuses and enduring poverty (read more).
Economically, politically and socially isolated, Mugabe grabbed at a new ‘Look East‘ policy which sees the forging of new relationships Asian and Muslim nations as an alternative to enduring relationships with the West. While the growing relationship with China is organized more along economic lines, without overt commitment to a united political agenda, Mugabe’s new partnership with Ahmadinejad is a clear political alliance.
Iran’s Ahmadinejad pledges to not allow Western nations bully Mugabe into development and political paradigms that only reify the West global dominance. Mugabe says “[w]e find ourselves against countries like the United States, which think the world belongs to them exclusively … we have to put out defense.”
