Asia

Foreign nations steal wealth as Ummah looks on!

 On December 26th 2007 a new agreement was signed between Russia and Turkmenistan to build a pipeline from Turkmenistan through Kazakhstan to Russia. This agreement must be viewed as part of the on-going struggle between various nations to control the immense energy resources of Central Asia. Western governments were aghast at the deal as they had been courting Turkmenistan to ship some of its natural gas reserves under the Caspian Sea through favourable countries to western markets, bypassing Russia.

By signing this deal with Turkmenistan, which has the second-largest gas reserves in the former Soviet Union, it increases Russia's economic and political muscle in the country and confirms Russia’s growing ascendancy over the past few months. The agreement must also be seen as a further attempt by Russia towards dominating the European energy market as part of Russian security and foreign interest goals.

The signing of the pipeline agreement is now one amongst many agreements for pipelines to ship the resources of the Central Asian states to energy hungry economies in the West, Russia and to the East, such as China. Just as our forefathers witnessed the great rush for oil in the Middle East in the early part of the 20th Century we see the same happening in Central Asia. However, along with the oil executives and government officials, arrive an array of advisors, official and foreign troops to the lands of the Muslims in order to secure the oil reserves and embed foreign, non-Islamic ideas and values within the Islamic lands.

With Russian, American and Chinese military bases in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and other nations there is no doubt that the Muslim Ummah stands to lose once again the resources that lie beneath their feet. Existing and proposed pipelines tell an all too familiar tale of the wealth of the Muslims being stolen.

Competition for the resources of the region

The importance of what is at stake is not missed by the competing nations. Kazakhstan is stated to have the second largest oil and gas reserves in the region, behind Russia. The Energy Information Administration (EIA)-an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Energy- states that estimated proven oil reserves in the region range between 17 and 49 billion barrels, which is comparable to OPEC members Qatar and Libya with regional oil production comparable to annual production from South America's second largest oil producer, Brazil. It is estimated that by 2010, the EIA expects the countries of the Caspian Sea Region to exceed the annual production from South America's largest oil producer, Venezuela.

Central Asia is also abundant in natural gas. Regional proven natural gas reserves are comparable to those in Nigeria. Natural gas production from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in 2005 was comparable to three quarters of Canada’s production. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are the region’s largest natural gas exporters.

Continuation of the ‘Great Game’

Since the start of the 21st Century the demand for control over the world’s remaining resources has gained even greater pace. China and Russia are now major players, competing even more fiercely than the US for oil, gas and other resources. The foreign policy interests of these nations are commonly viewed as a continuation of the 19th Century ‘Great Game’ played by Tzarist Russia, Victorian Britain and the Uthmani Khilafah.

Energy demands are arguably the single biggest factor driving foreign interests of all leading economic nations in the world. The demand for oil and gas is viewed by their governments as essential to ensure that these nations not only maintain their economies but also continue to exert their influence in the world. This is clearly the policy of the US and China. China as a new economic power has overtaken the US in its need for oil and gas. China’s economy is growing at a phenomenal rate and it requires a constant flow of resources to maintain its demand.

The US requires oil and other resources not only to satisfy the current demand that is generated by its economy but also to maintain a stable economy in order for it to pursue its foreign policy interests. By contrast, Russia has been facing an economic downturn. The Russian economy is heavily dependant on the sale of its own gas and oil reserves. The Russian government over the past 3-4 years have been actively pursuing a policy to control gas and oil supplies to the West. Putin’s victory in bringing Gazprom under state control is evidence of this policy.

Gazprom is the largest exporter of gas to the West from Russia. The power of the Russian government following it’s takeover of Gazprom was demonstrated by the Ukrainian government’s agreement to pay a higher rate for gas following the threat of closure of gas supplies to Ukraine.

The game being played with the resources of the Muslims only goes to benefit those players involved, but where does this leave the Ummah?

Land locked Central Asia was barely on the map a few years ago as it was considered a land that was merely a crossing for conquering armies rather than one that held any value. This was the view of the US government until in desperation it had to seek local allies so as to attack and occupy Afghanistan in 2001 and forged relations with the despots of Uzbekistan.

Presently, many more foreign suitors are arriving in Central Asia, seeking energy supplies, metals, or merely some political influence in a strategically important area of the world that is the border between the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran to the south, China to the east, and Russia and Europe to the west.

The willingness of the Central Asian countries to cooperate with U.S.-led efforts in Afghanistan helped bring new attention to the region, and the vast energy resources the region possesses kept that attention focused on Central Asia after their role in the Afghan operation began to diminish.

As a result of the interest shown in this region the five leaders of Central Asia sense, with Chinese, Russian and US backing, now feel safe and supported in cementing their tyrannical reign and brutally putting down any opposition to their rule, in particular Islamic opposition.

Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. in his article entitled ‘U.S. Interests and Central Asia Energy Security’ of November 15, 2006 comments;

The recent U.S. experience with criticism of President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan over the Andijon massacre, in which the Uzbek military opened fire on armed Islamists as well as civilian protestors, is a case in point. This criticism pro¬voked a harsh Uzbek response that resulted in the loss of both a strategic relationship and U.S. access to the Karshi–Khanabad air base. This incident can be seen as a valuable learning opportunity for U.S. policymakers. Intransigence on the issue of democ¬racy development to the exclusion of other U.S. national interests and priorities has not served the U.S. well in Uzbekistan and has led to an over reliance on the Manas International Airport air base in Kyrgyzstan, which comes with an annual price tag in the $150 million range.

The reports of brutality and torture from Uzbekistan and the recent rigged elections prove that for the Ummah there is no protector for them and they are seen as mere fodder rather than equals of other nations.

Former communist leaders such as Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov, Karimov in Uzbekistan and Nazarbyev in Kazakhstan sit safe in the knowledge that their hold on power will not be challenged by the leading economic nations. They sit happily earning millions through their corrupt policies whilst allowing the resources of the Muslims to be siphoned away. The majority of the Ummah in these lands live poor and desolate lives while these rulers allow our wealth to be taken away. Is it any wonder that this Ummah has fallen behind the US, the Chinese and the Russians.

Corruption and Mismanagement

Like many Muslim countries these nations are among the most corrupt in the world. In a new survey Uzbekistan is reported as the most corrupt Central Asian state, being rated as the 5th most corrupt country in the world with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan all in the top 50.

It is a tragedy that many parts of the Muslim world, blessed by Allah (swt) with abundant natural resources, lie in ruins and without basic necessities. Why is it that the oil and gas so widely demanded by all countries and States seem only to be the right of the US and other powerful nations to take and share amongst themselves? And at the same time the Muslim countries that require these resources are left to struggle and beg for their share of their own resources.

Take Pakistan for example. A nuclear power, a member of the ‘nuclear club’ ranked along side China, Russia, the US, UK and India is unable to provide a continuous energy supply to many parts of the country leading to frequent power shortages and cuts. This is an unacceptable situation that a nation with Nuclear weapons is unable to generate sufficient electricity.

This issue is set to exasperate considering the energy demands of Pakistan are set to rise. In June last year, Mukhtar Ahmed, energy adviser to the Pakistan prime minister, stated that 40 % of Pakistani households are not even connected to the electric grid. Over the next 20 years, he warned, the country’s overall demand for energy will increase by 350 %. During this period, the percentage of Pakistan’s total energy needs met from indigenous sources will fall from 72 to 38 percent.

With the inherent strengths Pakistan possesses such as its strategic location, resourceful people and desire for Islam, sustaining a regular source of energy from the neighbouring Central Asian States should be entirely possible.

The fact that this not occur is due to the compliant tyrant rulers that the West have imposed upon us. They are the chains that hold back the will and ambitions of this Ummah. The Ummah have a right to share and benefit from the resources that Allah (swt) bestowed upon us.

Just as in the Middle East the interests of the US and Europe has lead to cementing of corrupt and brutal rulers in the Muslim Lands of Central Asia. The removal of these rulers and the unification of these lands will bring into the hands of the Muslims immense resources.
It is under the protection and guidance of the Khilafah State that the interests and resources of the Ummah will be protected and secured. It is only under the ownership of the Ummah that these resources will be used for the benefit of the Ummah. Under the Khilafah these resource will not only benefit the Ummah but will also give it strategic leverage over the West, Russia and China.
The power of the Muslims lie in the resources that they control, and it is through these resources that the Muslim Ummah will regain its power and strength in order to convey Allah’s (swt) deen in this world.