The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Samira Belhaj
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring. This book is dedicated to the Libyan people and their history. Their story continues to be written to which the ending is uncertain. However, one thing remains sure: hope for a better tomorrow.
Contents محتويات
The Good Omar Mukhtar: From Pen to Rifle
9
Italian Occupation
17
The Lion of the Desert
29
The End of an Era
39
The Bad The White Revolution
55
The Mad Dog
67
Abu Salim Massacre
77
The Arab Spring
91
The Ugly The Power Vacuum Proxy War
101 115
The Good الجيد 1911 - 1931 Omar Mukhtar: From Pen to Rifle Italian Occupation End of an Era
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
6-7
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Omar Mukhtar: From Pen to Rifle
8-9
Omar Mukhtar was born into a poor
through the desert to places like
household in the East of Libya near
Chad. This greatly served him when
the city of Tobruk. He spent his youth
battling the Italians in that very same
in poverty and was later adopted by a
desert. His wisdom was often put to
local religious figure. He lived a very
use in solving tribal disputes and was
pious and simple life in a small village.
well known for being eloquent and
At sixteen, he had memorised the
balanced in speech which proved
whole Quran, the holy book of Islam,
to unite people. It was in his thirties
and went on to become a prominent
that
Islamic scholar in the community.
Africa to which he stood firm against
His education was highly valuable
in the name of his religion. It is his
to him and later attended university
upbringing and back ground that
for a total of 8 years. In the years
made him such a respected person
before the Italian invasion, Mukhtar
during his career as a guerrilla
frequently traveled long distances
fighter later in his life.
colonisation
entered
North
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
10 - 11
“No, I will not leave my country until I meet my lord. Death is closer to me than anything. I’m waiting for it by the minute.”
- Omar Mukhtar
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
12 - 13
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
14 - 15
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Italian Occupation 16 - 17
During the 19th century, Libya was
16 concentration camps which held
made up of three territories which
both those fighting the anti-Italian
were under the rule of the Ottoman
resistance as well as the Jewish
Empire: Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and
population. The total number of
Fezzan. It was during the 1900’s
those contained in these camps
that Italian business interests in
equaled to about two thirds of the
the region grew. With the threat of
population of the whole country
France’s interest to expand from
at the time. It was common for
Tunisia, Italy staged an invasion in
them to carry out large executions
1914. Italy sought to make Libya their
against the people believed to be
“fourth shore” and was the ideal
rebels
first step to actualise Mussolini’s
It wasn’t until the rise of Omar
expansionist agenda. They fought
Mukhtar that the resistance became
against any Libyan resistance with
organised in their effort to remove
an iron fist, seeing the creation of
Italian oppression from their land.
against
the
colonisation.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
18 - 19
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
- Ofek A Jewish Libyan
20 - 21
The Arabs gave refuge to Jews outside the Hara (Jewish quarter) and in the villages near the city even if, at times, they overcharged them rent. And for their part, the Jews helped the Arabs when they could with basic necessities. On the other hand, the Italians, particularly the Fascists, abused the Jews, humiliating and offending them with insulting names as well as beating them whenever possible.
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
22 - 23
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
24 - 25
“We do not kill prisoners. ‘They do it to us!’ They are not our teachers.”
- Omar Mukhtar
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
26 - 27
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Lion of the Desert 28 - 29
Mukhtar began leading the fight
losses as a result of his trademark
against the fascists in Libya at the age
hit-and-run tactics. However, on
of 50. He is world-renowned as the
September 11, 1932, during clashes
‘Desert Lion’ due to the impossible
with
odds that he found victory against
Mukhtar was taken back to Benghazi
the Italians. From his long distance
after being captured and arrested
travels across the desert he was
after 20 years of fighting. The Italian’s
highly familiar with the terrain and
were so exalted at his capture they
used this knowledge against the
posed with him like a trophy to show
Italians. He was famous for his mercy
their victory. After sentencing him
towards his enemies and often
to death by hanging he was taken
released Italian prisoners of war. He
to the concentration camps. Here,
remained wise, fair and steadfast in
his family and tribe were being held.
his morals as a Muslim until the end.
Omar Mukhtar was hung in front of
The Italian occupiers suffered heavy
them to make an example out of him.
the
Italian
cavalry,
Omar
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
30 - 31
We will never surrender. We win or we die. And don’t think it stops there. You will have the next generation to fight; and after that the next, the next. As for me, I will live longer than my hangman.
- Omar Mukhtar
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
32 - 33
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
34 - 35
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
36 - 37
“O reassured soul, Return to your lord, wellpleased and pleasing [to him], And enter among My [righteous] servants And enter My Paradise.� - Omar Mukhtar Quran (89:27-30)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The End of an Era 38 - 39
The occupation of Libya continued
the losing side. The allied forces
for another 10 years, after the
saw this as their first victory of the
death of Omar Mukhtar, as did the
second World War and initiated the
resistance. Mussolini, leader of the
decline of the control of fascism
fascists, visited the Italian colony
in Europe. By the end of 1943 all
a number of times concerned with
of the Italian settlers in Libya had
the still unsettled state of the colony
left.
and it’s prospects for agricultural
occupation until 1951 where the
development. However, behind the
process of decolonisation began.
scenes of his grand visits things
Power was later handed over to
weren’t going entirely well. Italian
King Idris Senussi who remained
forces in the East of the country
in control of the country until the
were battling the British and the
1960’s. It wasn’t until 1998 that the
Americans in Tobruk which seemed
Italian government offered a formal
to increasingly position them on
apology to Libya and it’s people.
Libya remained under allied
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
40 - 41
Democracy is talking itself to death. The people do not know what they want; they do not know what is the best for them. There is too much foolishness, to much lost motion. I have stopped the talk and the nonsense. I am a man of action. Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy. - Benito Mussolini
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
42 - 43
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
44 - 45
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
46 - 47
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
48 - 49
The Bad السيء 1969 - 2011 The White Revolution The Mad Dog Abu Salim Massacre The Arab Spring
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
52 - 53
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The White Revolution 54 - 55
During the ruling of King Idris
officers called the Free Officers
Libya’s development as a country
Movement to the capital leading to
was mainly limited to its major
the overthrow of the King. This coup
cities. Tripoli, the nations capital,
was called The White Revolution
was considered very cosmopolitan
because, amazingly, the coup was
with the various influences from
executed without a single shot fired
other European countries due to the
or life lost. King Idris found himself
war. King Idris was well assimilated
in exile in Egypt where he remained
with the West and was known for
until his death in 1983. Introduced
having good relations with them. It
was a new Arab interpretation of
was during a trip to Greece that a
socialism that integrated Islamic
young military officer by the name
principles with social, economic and
of Muammar Gaddafi from the East
political reform. This event marks the
saw an opportunity to seize power of
beginning of a 42 year old military
Libya. Gaddafi led a group of military
ruling over the people of Libya.
Your armed forces have toppled the reactionary, backward and corrupt regime. With one strike your heroic army has toppled idols and destroyed them in one of Providence’s fateful moments. As of now Libya shall be free and sovereign, a republic under the name of the Libyan Arab Republic. No oppressed or deceived or wronged, no master and no slave; but free brothers in a society over which, god willing, shall flutter the banner of brotherhood and equality.
- Muamar Gaddafi September 1, 1969
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
56 - 57
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
58 - 59
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
60 - 61
“My father was the owner of a hotel and casino named the Uaddan, which over looked the coast of Tripoli. In some ways, I think he was waiting for a glimmer on the horizon, a memory that had fallen deep inside him and hadn’t been seen since the fall of 1969.”
- Jehad Nga Photographer
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
62 - 63
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
64 - 65
The Mad Dog 66 - 67
The
years
following
Muammar
Fletcher were mere details to the
Gadaffi’s coup, the world became
dictator. His disillusioned behaviour
increasingly aware of the Libyan
became his trade mark and earned
dictator for a number of reasons,
him the nickname from President
none of them good. He took to
Reagan ‘The Mad Dog of the Middle
international
targeting
East.’ He managed to alienate his
those who oppose him. For many, he
people from the rest of the world
is the one responsible for the 1988
with his psychotic antics. Gaddafi
bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over
exploited his unpredictability to
Lockerbie, Scotland which killed 270
keep his enemies off balance which
people. Bombing a Berlin night club
appeared to be a result of extreme
or having an armed assassin attempt
paranoia. He used this same ruthless
to murder one of his enemies at the
behaviour within Libya by executing
Libyan embassy in London ending in
anyone
the death of police officer Yvonne
suspected of being a threat to him.
terrorism,
and
everyone
he
even
“The only voice left was that of the ‘revolution’ and ‘the leader’ and his followers. This affected not only the right to speak and freedom of expression, but the way citizens interacted and lived. The individual became either a lackey of the regime or resisted and became sidelined, imprisoned, exiled or worse...”
- Ashor Shamis Gaddafi Resistance
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
68 - 69
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
70 - 71
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
72 - 73
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
74 - 75
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Abu Salim Massacre 76 - 77
Abu Salim is a prison located at
in 1996, after many prisoners had
the heart of Tripoli, Libya’s capital.
staged a revolt by locking a guard
Although murdering people in cold
in a cell and attempting to escape,
blood was nothing new to the Gadaffi
a man by the name of Abdullah
regime, the events that occurred
Sanussi visited the prison. This man
at this prison are what some would
was Gadaffi’s brother-in-law and he
describe as the trigger for the 2011
arranged for 1,200 prisoners to be
revolution. Abu Salim notoriously
executed. The families of the victims
became known over the years as
weren’t told what had happened for
the place that anyone believed to be
more than a decade and believed
plotting against the regime would be
they were still alive. The families who
sent. Once there, prisoners would
lost loved ones in the massacre kick
virtually disappear without trial or
started the revolution that would
information being given to family
change Libya forever after their
members. One fateful June evening
lawyer was arrested in Benghazi.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
78 - 79
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“The thing that I am most sad about is that I never got to say the word my father.�
- Asma Nasef
80 - 81
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
82 - 83
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
- Amna Haddud Abu Salim Widow
84 - 85
In 1995 we protested again outside the prison. They told me again that he was on list “A,” the “black list” and that he was a traitor to the government. They threatened to put me in Abu Salim women’s prison if I kept demonstrating. In April of 2002 the government called me and told me to collect his death certificate. Prisoners who came out told me that most of “A” list was killed in the massacre. I waited for him for 23 years.
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
86 - 87
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“Hand grenades were thrown into the crowds of prisoners followed by continuous firing from different weapons like AK47s, general purpose machine guns, crowd control machine guns. The raining of bullets continued for an entire hour. I could not see the dead prisoners who were shot, but I could see those who were shooting. They wre a special unit and wearing khaki military hats. Six were using Kalashnikovs...”
- Hussein Al-Shafa’i Former Prisoner
88 - 89
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Arab Spring 90 - 91
Before 2011 a revolution was a
dictator which ended in a dramatic
concept completely unimaginable to
conclusion. After targeting a convoy
the Libyan people. After 42 years of
moving through a rural town outside
oppression and cruelty, freedom was
of the city held by Gaddafi forces,
on the people’s doorstep. Without
irony played out in favour of the
the
and
freedom fighters. To the fighters
America, many believe events would
surprise Colonel Muammar Gadaffi
of played out very differently. Regular
was among those injured in the
every day people with normal jobs
attack. After a manhunt ensued, he
had picked up arms in an effort to
was discovered hiding in a street
defend their freedom and country.
drainage pipe. Suddenly, the roles
Ugly pictures began to be painted of
had reversed in that moment where
war crimes committed by Gadaffi’s
the people Gaddafi often described
forces. After a year of fighting, NATO
as rats had found their leader hiding
and the Rebels were closing in on the
in the sewers.
involvement
of
NATO
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
93 - 93
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
95 - 95
The Ugly القبيح 2011 - Present The Power Vacuum Proxy War
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
99 - 99
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Power Vacuum
rival militias fought each other for
Gaddafi a push towards democracy
ownership of places that would make
was attempted but unfortunately
them a lot of money. This included
things didn’t play out how many
airports,
had hoped. When the fighting came
stations. Power outings, kidnap for
to an end, many turned in their
ransom and human trafficking runs
weapons but those who saw an
havoc in this lawless landscape of
opportunity took a different route.
‘whose gun is bigger’. ISIS too saw
Seeing that the country had no way
an opportunity in Libya after being
of gaining a structure after 42 years
pushed out of Iraq and Syria. In a
of military rule many of those who
place like Libya, ISIS could function
fought during the revolution formed
as they like with almost no authority
militias as a means of gaining money
to answer too. However, in 2017 ISIS
and power for themselves. A power
was successfully removed from Sirte
vacuum
after 8 months of fighting.
quickly
formed
where
oil
plants
and
power
100 - 101
In leu of the toppling of Muammar
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
102 - 103
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
104 - 105
“Sometimes I come every day, sometimes I come every other day. It reminds me of the old days. I stay here until it kills my heart, and then I leave� - Mahmoud Ameesh Sirte Resident
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
107 - 107
The whole building in front of us collapsed. The bombs were coming from all sides. Our home was completely destroyed. We could have been killed. There are so many tragedies; Huge problems and there’s people suffering even more than us. I don’t have an ounce of hope. There’s no security, so why and what are they celebrating?
- Samira Al-Mehdi Tripoli Resident
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
108 - 109
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
110 - 111
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
113 - 113
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Proxy War
have invested themselves on the
in Libya came to be when Russia
side of militias and a military state.
involved itself in Libya’s instability.
However, there is hope among all
Due to Libya’s abundant oil and
the greed. The appointed interim
position as a gate way from Africa
government that goes by the name
to Europe, there are many interests
of GNA has continuously fought
that other nations have in Libya. On
against
a more politically motivated note,
Russia’s thousands of mercenaries
places like Saudi Arabia, UAE and
stationed in the East. After signing a
Egypt want to see a failed revolution
treaty with Turkey in 2019 the shift
in Libya. To have a successful
in favour of the interim government
democracy in the region provides
has been significant and there is
hope for others trying to rise
hope once more that the people who
against their own dictatorships so
died fighting for democracy during
all the before mentioned countries
the revolution didn’t die in vain.
the
militia
and
against
114 - 115
The development of a proxy war
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
117 - 117
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
118 - 119
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“I would tell those who think it was better under Gaddafi that if they were to taste one month under the Gaddafi regime, I’m 100 percent sure they would review that claim and take the side of the revolution.”
- Mohamed Mukhtar Former Libyan Rebel
121 - 121
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
122 - 123
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“
- Abdel Hakim Belhaj Former Rebel Fighter
124 - 125
There’s a proverb. Someone falls from the back of the camel. Was it your fault, or did the camel buck you off? I say, whatever, now I’m on the ground. We must not regret adopting a democratic path because it’s what the people wanted and it’s what we should have.
“
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
126 - 127
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
129 - 129
Libya is a place where you will find lost hopes and dreams around every street corner, similarly to the other countries that joined the Arab Spring. I believe that through our darkest moments there is still a light to be found. It is this light that, no matter the cause, we as humans strive to protect and inorder to do so we must also remember the struggles we have already been through. So in the ever relevant words of Martin Luther King “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.�