RE – GADDAFI

Debate will continue for many years in the future on why Gaddafi didn’t turn tail and flee, like other fallen Arab leaders, but waited until it was too late. Perhaps, as many argued, he could not believe it was true that Libya was after him. Perhaps it was because he was cranked, like his home […]

Debate will continue for many years in the future on why Gaddafi didn’t turn tail and flee, like other fallen Arab leaders, but waited until it was too late. Perhaps, as many argued, he could not believe it was true that Libya was after him. Perhaps it was because he was cranked, like his home nickname – Abu Shufshafa (Old Fuzzy-head) – indicated. Perhaps he was indeed braver than the others (as Ben Ali had tried to flee to Paris, but was rejected by the French, and had to settle for second-choice Saudi Arabia, while Hosni Mubarak, who also apparently underestimated the Egyptian fury, ran only to Sharm el Sheikh, within reach of ‘democracy’, and he is now paying for not fleeing far enough).

Many pieces of information about Gaddafi and Libya are circulating on the web even at this moment. They include a short treatise believed to be Gaddafi’s Last Will and Testament. Though no one can authoritatively confirm veracity, the contents of the Statement sound very Gaddafish. There is also a similar piece on some facts about how Libyans enjoyed economic security under Gaddafi. But perhaps that was as it should have been, considering the fact that many people forget there are only six million people in Libya, equal to a fairly-sized state in Nigeria, with perhaps double Nigeria’s wealth. Unstolen.

Because we are Africans, Libya mesmerised us. We saw ‘development’ in constant electricity, ever-flowing water from taps, pot-hole free roads, minimal corruption. But other nations, such as Malaysia, may not see Libya as ‘developed’, relatively speaking. In his article Friday, October 28, 2011 titled THE TRAGEDY OF LIBYA, former Prime Minister of Malaysia (and arguably the Muslim World’s most successful leader) Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, said on Muammar Gaddafi and Libya:

“One is always shocked when someone one knows suffers a tragic end. Maybe for the enemies of Gaddafi, he deserves what he got. But that does not lessen my sadness over the manner of his demise. As Prime Minister I met Gaddafi several times. He was always hospitable. Much of my time with him was spent in answering questions explaining about Malaysia. He seemed to want to learn about developing a country. I believe he wanted to do the same for Libya.

“In his early years he had plans for improving the lives of the Libyans. He, it was, who initiated the irrigation of the fertile coastal areas through building the great artificial river. A Korean contractor undertook the job, building a huge pipeline to carry underground water from the distant interior to huge tank storage farms and then to irrigate the land. I was much impressed by this project. Obviously he cared enough for his country and people to do this. But beyond that nothing much was done. Despite huge revenues from oil exports the country remained poorly developed. The people were relatively poor for a country with huge oil reserves.

“The Western press reported about his alleged cruelty against his detractors and enemies. But I have always been leery of the Western press. According to them I am also a great dictator who imprisoned hundreds of my political enemies. I know this is not true. And so I discounted much of the western press reports about Gaddafi. But he was certainly deficient in understanding the purpose of Government. He had no real plan for developing his country and prospering his people. He did not travel much to see how the other countries were developing. But his house where my wife and I had lunch with him and his wife was no palace. It was not even luxurious.

“Most of the time he was reclusive and after the western attempt to kill him, he feared for his life. He met visitors in a tent in a walled compound. I do not know about the cruelties perpetrated by him on his people. During his retreat recently I did not read about his prisoners being liberated or mass graves of the victims of his cruelty. Maybe these will be discovered later. In war cruelty is to be expected. In fact war legitimises cruelty, including killings. Still to see the cruelty, the killing inflicted on someone you know, shocks and saddens you.

“I am saddened by the killing of Gaddafi. He should be arrested and tried for his crime. But I know that is not the way today. Osama bin Laden was also executed by the United States’ soldiers. There are contracts made by ‘civilised democratic’ Governments on several people as there were in the past. I fear the fate of Gaddafi will befall others who fail to see the writing on the wall. The powerful, with vested interest in a regime change, will ensure that this will happen. They have much to gain.

“I hope and pray that Libya will get a good Government after this, headed by leaders who truly believe in good Government, who will be prepared to lose in clean elections which will not be manipulated.”

MANY readers also sent in their laments on this ignoble end of an eccentric human being. A few:

YUSUF ANAS: You always succeed in an objective way to expose western hypocrisy, and also from an Islamic perspective. Libya is now occupied, for the second time, by Western Imperialists. African and Muslim countries must learn a lesson from this.

MOHAMMED MUKHTAR: Your piece on Gaddafi was very appealing and really heart-rending. May Allah reward you for telling the truth. Ameen.

JIMOH O: Your piece on Gaddafi is nothing but fact. But the truth remains that Libya under Gaddafi was something to appreciate in terms of human and infrastructural development which other African leaders failed to do even when the resources are there. May ALLAH forgive Gaddafi all his sins as a human being.

M. IDREES UMAR: Gaddafi lived and died for something, not nothing, as other leaders. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace, and may the Libyans suffer the consequences of their actions.

DR. MODIBBO UMAR: Gaddafi has truly done his best for his country, but his people did not appreciate it; they heeded the calls of Americans and Europeans to remove him in the name of democracy. They will soon be in the hands of IMF and WORLD BANK ‘experts’. Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un.

IBRAHIM MUSA GWAMMAJA: The way Gaddafi was killed was very sad. Though he may have overstayed in power, he shouldn’t have been murdered like that. I pity the Libyans for the wages of betrayal in the future.

IKECHUKWU LEONARD: My brother, your piece on Gaddafi was a masterpiece. I don’t know how long these western powers will continue to shape our collective destiny in the name of politics. Gaddafi was indeed a great leader. May his soul find eternal peace.

Finally, if Gaddafi’s captors had really physically abused him in unmentionable orifices as stated in the news recently, then that would have been the depth of despicability. Old Fuzzy-head he may have been, but Gaddafi came, he saw, he bettered Libya!