The Fight For Libya's Future

The fight continues for the future of Libya. In the map above the opposition is said to have control of most of the area east of Misratah and G. controls Tripoli and to the west. The south is reported under control of the opposition or it is mostly desert. According to the news Zuwahrah is in the control of the opposition. Will this be better for Libya? Perhaps the future is brighter but the truth is after the fighting has ended, after power has been granted to another group, after all the turmoil and unrest has settled, which could take a very long time, Libya will have to recover and decide what is next.


Libya Protests

After the dust has settled and the wounded and dead have been taken care of then comes the time of grief and recovery. The rebuilding will need to start, picking up the pieces one piece at a time. The time of putting lives back together will be a challenge for the people of Libya. The time of hatred and distrust will need to be put aside. Libya will need to be rebuilt one brick, one stone, one person, one child at a time.

What role will the west and the world play in this process? This question is one that needs to be answered by the people of Libya. The people need to make some very hard choices. Will they be a shining star for North Africa or will they allow others to tell them what to do? The world can give advice but it must be the people of Libya who decide, not one person or a select few but the people. I saw a poster being held by a child on CNN today when they were showing pictures of the protesters, ONE MAN ONE VOTE, which should be ONE PERSON ONE VOTE. No citizen who is of legal age should be denied the right to vote on what they want for the future of Libya. Equality, respect, justice is the right of anyone regardless of beliefs, gender or age.

Please pray for the people of Libya that they make the best choices for the future of their country. It will be a rough road but if I know the people, I believe they will succeed.

Libya A Country In Chaos

The protests began on February 15, 2011. The world had just watched the Tunisian people unseat their leader and the Egyptians soon followed suit by forcing their leader Hosni Mubarak to step down. Then the world watched as more countries began to have their own demonstrations from Yemen to Bahrain and Algeria to name a few. It became like a fever spreading through the region.

In the other countries there were clashes with the government and people lost their lives but in Libya it was a different story. I will refer to the leader as G. and his son as S. On February 20th, 2011, S. spoke on Libyan state TV, stating that if the protesters did not stop there would be rivers of blood. At the same time he tried to offer an olive branch stating reforms were needed. Then on February 21, 2011, G. spoke saying the protesters were young drugged people and that outsiders were responsible for the uprisings. He compared the people to rats and stated he would execute all protesters. He has a grip on Tripoli but other cities are slowly falling away and with the possible loss of support of major tribes such as the Wafalla, G's base is crumbling. The east is apparently under control of anti-G. personnel. The border between Libya and Egypt appears to be unguarded and reports of defections by military personnel and diplomatic officials continue.

G. and S. blame the US and the west for  fomenting the rebellion and he vows he will die a martyr. What is a martyr well according to answer.com "

One who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles.

One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principal.

The first does not apply and the second is a matter of interpretation. To die a martyr for power and money could be interpreted as dying to further a cause or principal. The only martyr that would come out of this will be Libya a country in chaos, a country facing war therefore the comment by S. on the rivers of blood.

Should the west intervene? I do not have the answer to this as if we do intervene then we are condemned for meddling in other countries affairs and if the west does nothing then we are callous. I believe the Libyan people need to determine their own course but the "WORLD" needs to put a stop to the murder of innocent unarmed protesters who are expressing what we consider a right about their opinions of what is going on in their countries. The US does need to treat all peoples equally and to stand for what is right not for what is expedient. Let us not devolve this into a religious issue because even though the majority of Libyans are Muslim and most are Sunni, this is not about religion but about human rights. G. tries to show he is a devout Muslim but he is not following the strictures of the Quran. Please see the movie Lion of the Desert which chronicles Omar Muktar's struggle against Mussolini in World War II, as once again the Libyan people are at war with despotism.

In the news, we are being criticized for not being more forceful but the situation between Libya and Egypt is different as with Egypt we had leverage and with Libya we have none and G. has proven in the past what he is willing to do. Until foreigners are safe, it is necessary to tread carefully.

Where do we go from here? What happens next? Just as in the cases of Nero, Caligula, Hitler and Mussolini and leaders of the past who used violence against people, history will be the judge. History is a harsh judge and an unforgiving recorder of events. Our choice as conscientious humans is where will we be in the records of history.

I pray for those who are in harms way.

What Next?

The latest news is not good. The leader says he will not step down and is encouraging civil war between the citizens. Many have died in a cause to bring reform to the country.

I was able to visit the country on two occasions and each time I found the Libyan people to be kind and just like anyone else. They wanted equality, jobs, decent wages and freedom to be human. At the time I was there you had to be careful of what you said because you never knew where security forces were. We visited the ruins in Leptis Magna and Sabrata. These ruins have been around since the time of the Phoenicians, Greek and Romans.

In Leptis Magna there is this great Arch, cannot remember the name on the arch but these are very old sites and with what is going on now, the way the ones in charge are reacting, people are dying and history is being deleted from the land. The leader, I will refer to him as G. says he will die a martyr in his country. The problem is he will not be a martyr, he will be remember like Hitler and Mussolini, the great evils of our memories.

One of his sons stated there would be rivers of blood, the blood of those who only wish for a better life as the powers in charge have no wants or needs. The oil supports what they want but not the people.

I am deeply saddened that one or a small group of people have so little respect for human life they would turn against their own people and commit mass murder but we have seen this in the past and as long as humanity tolerates oppression, these actions will continue.

It is not the right of the west to take over a country to dictate our ways but it is the obligation of all of humanity to stand against brutality against those wanting change.

Oil is not an excuse to allow this to continue. Please pray for those who are in harms way and pray for an end to the bloodshed.

North Africa Unrest Continues

The unrest continues in several countries in North Africa. Egypt is somewhat quiet after demonstrators were able to unseat the leader Hosni Mubarak who had been in power for 30 years. Now the Libyan people are trying to repeat the process in their country. Today, state TV was ransacked, communications are sporadic with families in the country. A report of a million person march may happen today.

The government is refusing to step down and last night a speech by the son of the leader warned of a fight to the last man. They are now striking at the protesters from the air in Tripoli which was reported on Aljazeera Internet TV.

My fear for my family continues to rise and yet what can we do from here. Please pray for the innocents who are in harms way.

Libya

When you have family that is far away and there are problems in the area, you worry. This is the case for my family. We have family in the country of Libya and have not heard from them in over 24 hours. The reports coming out of the area are even more worrisome. Where will this end? How many lives will be lost? What will be the final result be?

These questions plague us night and day. As an American who has learned a lot about the area over the last several years and being taught by family what are the issues they face on a daily basis makes me appreciate what I have.

Libya is a beautiful country and the people I had contact with were welcoming and just like anyone else. They have their worries and concerns about the future, their children and just existing from day to day. The ones I met were not violent but on many you could see the signs of struggling with life. I have grown to love the country of Libya and especially the family I have there now. I pray they are safe.