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Libya - A culture of racism |
RACISM
Does President Gaddafi’s talk of «African Unity» have a more sinister meaning?
In 1996, I happened to find myself in Libya where I stayed for more than six months in various parts of the country. Libya is a country which is known to have dabbled in terrorist activities outside its own frontiers, and where its citizens, as in other Arab countries on the African continent, have yet to come to terms with their fellow Africans who live south of the Sahara.
Libya has been «home» to hundreds of thousands of citizens from countries like Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Ghana and Sudan, to name just a few. Most of these immigrants whose presence in Libya is the result of harsh political or economic situations in their own countries, decided to live in Libya either on a permanent or a temporary basis. They have settled for mainly menial jobs which the average Libyan would rather avoid.
Some immigrants use Libya as a transit route for illegal migration to other countries, using false travel documents. They are assisted by a smuggling syndicate, which charges between US $2,000 and US $5,000 before taking in their clients, who are later routed through Tripoli and Tunis, and then smuggled into Malta where they are airlifted to various European destinations.
The problem of xenophobia — Those who prefer to stay and work in Libya, experience the harsher side of life. The immigrant workers are called «Miskini» by the Libyans, meaning «poor». I have even heard some Libyans boasting to a black Sudanese that they are only Africans geographically, but politically they belonged to the Arab League. So most Libyans have a «superior» mentality vis à vis their black African brothers.
The fact is, immigrants who work in cities such as Sebha Quatrone, Bracke Benghazi and Tripoli, are exploited and earn a mere 150 Dinars per month which is less than $20. For a black person to walk around by himself, is to risk being stoned by small children while their parents sit-by and laugh. Or he could be attacked and robbed in broad daylight. Libya is a country where black immigrants are treated as second class citizens no matter their level of education or status in the country.
Lack of exposure — Libya’s own citizens are firmly controlled. Gaddafi himself runs the country as his own personal estate. People are never encouraged to travel to other countries for business or education, except to Saudi Arabia to perform the yearly pilgrimage. The whole country is characterised by a low level of education and an archaic system of government.
The total absence of a credible judicial system and respect for visitors, indicates that the slightest mistake and you get a free ticket to one of Libya’s notorious prisons called «Zanzoo», a place where many immigrants are believe to be kept without any sort of judicial process.
A raw deal — In 1996, a few Nigerian immigrants in Sebha, organized themselves and formed a small local football team as a form of recreation. This attracted other Libyan football fans who trooped in daily to watch the talented players demonstrate their soccer artistry. Then came the fateful day when some Arab boys challenged the black football team to a friendly match, which later became unfriendly when the immigrant team defeated the Arabs. The whole episode turned into a free-for-all between supporters from both sides. A number of immigrants were killed at the stadium; others were arrested on the spot and taken off to prison. So far, the Libyan authorities have said nothing about the whereabouts of those arrested, nor have they accounted for the deaths in the stadium.
And just this year, 2000, violence erupted in many parts of that country between local Libyans and immigrants. Many immigrants were killed, and others were repatriated, or rather, deported from Libya. It is clear that the mob action targeted black West Africans. The Libyan police and other law enforcement agencies were heavily involved in what took place.
President Gaddafi may seem to fool most Africans with his so-called Union of African States Project, but his recent utterances testify to the fact that he is more interested in extending the Muslim religion throughout Africa — all under the guise of African Unity. Nigerians, particularly the Christians, believe that Libya is financing the installation of Sharia Law in many parts of Nigeria, a country with a multi-religion and multi-ethnic status.
It is also reported that Libya intends to establish an Islamic University in Kano. This has been sharply criticized by Nigerian Christians and seen as an act of subversion and destabilization within Nigeria.
Little action by Governments — Many African governments seemed little concerned by the violence against their own citizens in Libya. Some countries were definitely lackadaisical in taking prompt action to rescue their citizens. Nigeria’s Minister of Economic Integration in Africa, Chief Dapo Sarumi, received massive condemnation for describing the deportees as «mainly criminals». On the other hand, Ghana’s President, Jerry Rawlings, has been loudly commended for his timely visit to Libya to rescue his traumatized citizens. Rawlings’ personal visit to Libya was seen as a matter of concern, which is in contrast with some West African Leaders who just didn’t care about their nationals.
And what about Gaddafi? In his first public statement on the crisis, he condemned the violence and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to African Unity. He blamed the crisis on outsiders or enemies of Africa who are bent on dividing Africa.
But others say the whole matter should have been investigated in a proper manner.
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