Libya may be copying Afghan model
Libya follows in the
footsteps of Afghanistan, especially in the way its Islamists deal with and
classify people.
Islamists in Tripoli
and Benghazi especially target women, Berbers (widely known as Amazigh), and
secular activists.
They do this in a systematic
manner. Islamist groups enjoy, meanwhile, support from Libyan authorities
competing for power in this country since 2021.
They receive funding
from the public treasury. This is why some observers believe that Libya is
copying the Afghan model where the ruling Taliban classifies the members of the
public and targets its opponents.
In
Afghanistan's footsteps
The outgoing head of
the National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, tried to blow life into his legitimacy by
enlisting the services of Islamists loyal to him, including Libyan mufti, Sadiq
al-Ghariani.
Ghariani gave Dbeibeh his blessing to continue as prime
minister, which allowed him to regain some of his influence in Tripoli without
making political concessions.
The active Islamization
of Libya can be traced in a decision to withdraw confidence from Dbeibeh as prime minister in 2021.
Dbeibeh then led a demonstration to overthrow the
parliament in eastern Libya.
At that time, eastern
Libya parliament decided to sack Ghariani as the mufti of Libya in 2014.
However, Ghariani
maintained his position, receiving backing from militants in Tripoli.
This alliance was
unprecedented in Libya, where Ghariani, with his extremist religious positions,
was not close to previous rival governments, such as the Government of National
Accord which was led by Fayez al-Sarraj or the interim government which was led
by Abdullah al-Thinni.
However, Dbeibeh's endorsement of Ghariani as a sheikh and teacher
opened the door to a broad Islamist cultural repression campaign.
The government of Dbeibeh gave Ghariani the green light he was waiting
for to start applying the provisions of Islamic law.
So the mufti launched a
hard-line religious incitement campaign against Libyan women, where he issued a
religious fatwa prohibiting women from traveling unaccompanied.
The Internal Security reciprocated
by imposing a humiliating model based on gender discrimination that restricts
the freedom of Libyan women to travel from Mitiga Airport.
This provoked
controversy and anger among human rights advocates and feminists in Libya.
After the fatwa was
issued, women traveling alone were forced to provide details about their trips
and the reasons for the absence of a male escort".
Ghariani asked the Dbeibeh government for special budgets to fight those
who convert to Christianity.
