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Backgrounder: Gaddafi
Hadiza Wada, DBA
…August 20, 2011
As the news
about the imminent end of the Gaddafi regime in Libya makes rounds, we bring to
you some background information about the man; Gaddafi [Arabic, Qaddafi]. Libya
has been experiencing a bout of uprising since February 2011, a somewhat
regional uprising sparked largely by youths, which began in Tunisia and has been
sweeping many Arab nations beginning late last year.
Muammar
Muhammad al-Gaddafi was born June 7, 1942 in the desert city of Sirte and was
raised in a tent in a typical Bedouin fashion. He joined the army in Benghazi
back in 1961 and has remained a Colonel to date, the same rank he attained
within the military before the military coup that brought him into power eight
years later on September 1, 1969.
His was a bloodless coup that put an end to a monarchy, and was undertaken while
King Idris whom he toppled was outside the country for medical treatment. Soon after coming into power, he
abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951, and adopted laws based on his
political ideology [described in his publication titled ‘the green book.’].
As for
Gaddafi’s ideological background, he has been described as a great admirer of
Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. What is unmistakably his goal for which he
is known across the world however, is his Islamic as well as Afrocentric stance
over matters others will shy away from or else not press as hard.
An Arab and Muslim, Gaddafi sought
through the years to fight more for empowering Muslims and strengthening united
Islamic states across North Africa and the Sahel.
He probably could qualify for fighting the hardest and the longest
towards achieving that goal than any other Arab or Muslim majority state. An Arab by all accounts, he however
advocates more his ‘Africanness,’ and does not in any way buy into the
[conceptual] excising of North Africa and calling it literally “Middle East.”
Socially,
after taking over, and in consonance with his new vision, he was reported to
have made changes which included making official the Islamic calendar, and doing
away with the Christian based one, that was started after the nation was
colonized by Italians. He believes
that such actions are necessary to reorient a Muslim society back in touch with
its essence. To date he frequents
natural locations for worship and contemplation, making tent life in the desert
away from cities part of his regular routine to keep that part of his belief
alive. On April 15, 1986 when
a U S attack to kill him was undertaken, he was reported to be at such locations
even as other sources say he was tipped in advance of the attack, and the attack
ended up killing his adopted daughter and destroying his city dwelling.
Muammar
Gaddafi has for many years topped the list of the most despised world leaders by
the Western nations, and the feeling is mutual.
After taking over power, he actually nationalized foreign oil companies.
Within a year of taking over power, Gaddafi also removed the U.S. and British
military bases from Libya and expelled most Italian and Jewish communities from
the country. He openly campaigned against moral maladies as well as exploitative
nature of western relationships with the developing countries such as his.
Another point of contention with the West was Israel, where he would always
accuse Western nations for supporting what he sees as an openly oppressive
occupier state. In tandem with the
ideology of his mentor Nasser, he also made Libya a Socialist oriented nation.
In recent
years however, highly placed worldly figures convinced Muammar Gaddafi to tone
down his radical rhetoric and join the world community.
After visits and some persuasion by
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the United States also toned down its
stance. He visited the United
Nations for the first time after many years to deliver Libyan speech personally
two years ago, 2009, and has since then announced some political changes for
Libya.
Gaddafi has
ruled Libya for 42 years and is reported to have six children all male, except
for the youngest Ayesha.
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