Libyan Leader Losing Legitimacy

AS graduate students in social science, we would assess one’s savvy in international politics if a fellow student had read or heard of Colonel Gadhafi’s (Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi ) 1975 Green Book which was a socialist and nationalist political philosophy.
We first knew the Colonel who dons safari suits and sunglasses as a revolutionary who overthrew a Libyan monarchy and dreamed to unite the Arab world.
Already, he was a declared socialist before the fall of the Soviet empire.

Then, in 1976, he hosted our Tripoli Agreement or the first peace agreement between the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front.

Let me share how my anthropologist friend Carol Gamiao, my roomate in a University of the Philippines residence hall captures that period:

“ I remember him well for his Green Book which he brought to the Philippines – printed in the Philippines, too since I had all volumes of his little Green Book.
(My professor was contractor for his Manila workshop and promotion tour.)
Had them but did not really read seriously because it was not too coherent. It was attempt at an alternative to Capitalism and Communism – like our Revolution from the Center.
Ours was better, of course. An enlightened despot was kind of chic at that time – strong leadership in Third World – Mahathir, Marcos, etc. Reaction to US-style democracy that they said was not suited to our particular conditions as developing nations.
It was an emerging economy, new wealth with oil and all.
Like Marcos, he could have succeeded too, with vision and heart and mind.
So, in my old age, I still believe what I knew then that all revolutions need to start from within – people – individually. With vision of a great leader. Remember, we had at that time, “Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan…” We did not get there.

"And what else I remember is based on the stories of our dorm mate, a member of the UP Concert Chorus, who occupied a room just across our room at the dorm. Imelda Marcos went to Libya and sang Dahil sa Iyo before Gadhafi’s tent in the desert.
And then, Imelda asked him to render her a song in return.
Oh, Imelda and her wild ways. Gadhafi’s mother was very upset that some woman dares tell him what to do.
I think we were then asserting our independence from the US Bases by courting everyone that could ensure our oil supply. Them were the days.

"But the future is bleak. I dread to think about what this whole mess has in store for us all.
Al Qaeda is fighting with him?
These days, I just don’t read the news anymore – and if I do, just force myself to be positive and not contribute any more to the negativity. We’re all in this together, that’s the rub.”

In 2009, during Gadhafi’s address at the United Nations’s 64th session of the UN General Assembly where he reportedly called the UN Security Council as a “Terror Council”, the colonel, as reports indicated, wanted to put up a tent in Central Park but was allegedly met with protests.

Today, as one of the longest running rulers of the world having been in power in Libya for four decades, Colonel Gadhafi is fighting for his political life.
The recent pro-democracy protests that started in Tunisia and Egypt has spread to Libya. Given that there is a long standing movement and campaign to overthrow Colonel Gadhafi, the political protests are not really a surprise nor unexpected.
What is unexpected is Gadhafi’s holding on to power by a thread despite international pressure. Gadhafi’s crackdown on the political protests has resulted to a reported hundreds of deaths of civilians in recent days.

Any human rights activist is sure to say that Gadhafi’s crackdown against protesters resulting to deaths is a crime against humanity and is punishable under Article 7 of the Rome Statute or the law creating the International Criminal Court. It has also been reported that a religious ruling or fatwa has been issued calling for the killing of Gadhafi for the crime committed against Libyans.

This is an interface of history and biography and women’s place in this unfolding geopolitics drama is to constantly promote human rights through peaceful political reforms.
Very big words but we always start the action by naming and framing the issues.