By: Husam Bash Imam
Following the toppling of the tyrant military regime in Libya in 2011, which ruled the country for 42 years, with a mix of ideologies of Marxism, leftist and Arab Nationalism movements, with tribal support, it tried to harmonize tribal beliefs date back to old centuries.
That is strange odd contradiction imposed with iron and fire, not just in Libya, but in the period when military coups aroused in the Arab world in the fifties and sixties. Changes occurred with the evolution of the political thinking in the Arab world and the beginning of the Arab Spring, age of democracy for the Arab world.
In 2011, following the fall of the military regime, a constitutional declaration was announced to establish a new phase of the Libyan modern history and defined a structure for a state all Libyans aspire for, which is the civil state mentioned in the preamble. The following are parts of it:
“In the response to the Libyans desire and aspirations to establish the democracy, the values of the political pluralism, the state of institutions, stability, and the justice, based on Islamic spirit and love of nation; and proceeding towards nationalism, justice, equality, development, and prosperity, the interim National Transition Council issued the declaration to set the basis for ruling in Libya. The constitutional declaration stated in the first article that Libya is an independent democratic state, people are the source of powers, Tripoli is the capital, Islam is the religion, the Islamist sharia is the main source of laws, the state guarantees for non-Muslims freedom of religious practices, Arabic is the primary language, the state guarantees language and cultural rights for Amazigh, Tabu, Tuareg and all components of the Libyan society.”
The declaration set milestones for the civil state Libyans have dreamt for, but what happened is that different groups and factions attempted and still trying to impose their own values based on tribal, regional, fascist military, or religious ideologies. And despite their different motives and political agendas, they agree on depriving the Libyans of their aspired country, for the threat such country pose to their obscurantism ideas. they seek to gain control power either through authoritarian regimes, military, theocratic, tribal, or just an evil mix of all of that.
Accomplishments made by February revolution was like a boxer who knocked out his rival; it removed a stumbling rock blocked Libya from moving forward. Now it is over; we should rebuild the country based on the principles we once agreed on in that glorious day. The mission is not accomplished yet, revolution still needs to turn into a country to achieve its goals, or we will get robbed by power seekers, as we are witnessing nowadays. Then, Libyans have no other choice but to believe in what they did and their victory over tyranny, it is only the beginning, not the end, the revolution is not a goal but a mean for the change.
Revolution is a special case and shouldn’t continue as said by despots who want to block public freedoms and keep people under a constant state of emergency. State building crowns revolution; all Libyans should work to build that country with honest will and determination. It is a great change process others hardly tried, and still trying, to steal it, we must halt all such failed wars to get to stability, head towards building our desired country, the state of justice, equality, and citizenship.
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Husam Bash Imam – A Libyan Writer
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