Islamic movement in Libya

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 2:10 pm

Vision - Panda Joseph

Tripoli - Aaron j. Zilin - Washington Institute - Libya gained independence from Italy by the end of the Second World War and declared itself a constitutional monarchy under King Idris. However, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi carried out a military coup in September / September 1969, to establish a system committed Arab nationalist ideology "socialist Muslim." It did not last long where he was born his regime a state of discontent and dissatisfaction among Islamic circles in the country, which led to the establishment of an Islamic renaissance began in the late seventies of the last century.

«The Muslim Brotherhood»

Was the first appearance for the group «Muslim Brotherhood» in Libya in 1949. He founded the Egyptian cleric Izz al-Din Ibrahim Mustafa and others branch group «Muslim Brotherhood» in Libya, where the king granted the former Libyan Idris safe haven after fleeing from political persecution in Egypt. King has allowed them a relative degree of freedom to publish their thoughts, did not pass a short time until the movement has attracted a number of loyal locals. The movement got its momentum through the Egyptian teachers who were working in Libya.

However, Gaddafi took a position less flexible, saying «brothers» a potential source of opposition. Shortly after his arrival to power, has arrested a number of «Brotherhood» and deported to Egypt. As the security agencies to arrest and torture of members of the «Muslim Brotherhood» Libyans in 1973, and approved those under pressure to solve the «community». As a result, committed «brothers» silence until the end of the seventies of the last century.

غير أن الأحوال تغيرت في بداية الثمانينيات، حيث انتعشت آمال وطموحات جماعة «الإخوان» (التي كانت قد سمت نفسها آنذاك “الجماعة الإسلامية الليبية”) لاستبدال النظام العلماني القائم في ذلك الحين بحكم الشريعة الإسلامية، مستخدمة في ذلك الوسائل السلمية، وبدأت مرةً أخرى في حشد الدعم الشعبي. وحظيت الجماعة بدفعة معنوية من عدد من الطلاب الليبيين الذين عادوا من المملكة المتحدة والولايات المتحدة، وساهموا بدور فاعل في المساعدة على نشر فكر «الإخوان».

وعملت الحركة بسرية في مجموعات من الخلايا النشطة المترابطة في جميع أنحاء البلاد، وحظيت بالكثير من التأييد الشعبي من خلال القيام بأعمال خيرية والعمل على رعاية أعضائها. كما جذبت الحركة بشكل خاص أفراد الطبقات المتوسطة وظهرت قوتها بصورة خاصة في المنطقة الشرقية من بنغازي، حيث كانت القبائل الرئيسية تعارض تقليدياً نظام حكم القذافي. غير أنه بحلول منتصف الثمانينيات، تعرض معظم الأعضاء الذين بقوا في ليبيا إما للسجن أو الإعدام.

وفي عام 1999، عادت جماعة «الإخوان المسلمين» الليبية إلى الساحة من خلال الحوار مع نظام القذافي. واكتسب هذا التبادل المزيد من الزخم في الفترة بين 2005-2006، عندما ساعد نجل معمر القذافي، سيف الإسلام، في دفع العملية إلى الأمام. وقد قام سيف الإسلام بذلك خصيصاً لاستمالة «الجماعة». وفي عشية الانتفاضة الليبية في ربيع 2011، أشارت التقديرات إلى وجود ألف عضو من «الإخوان» داخل ليبيا ونحو 200 آخرين في المنفى. وقد تكون «الجماعة» اليوم أقوى من ذي قبل، ففي كانون الأول/ديسمبر 2012، صرح محمد صوان، زعيم “حزب العدالة والبناء” — الذراع السياسي لـ جماعة «الإخوان المسلمين» — بأن «الجماعة» تضم الآن أكثر من 10,000 عضو، بإشارته إلى نجاحها في كسب مؤيدين جدد خلال السنتين الماضيتين.

جماعات أصغر

لم تكسب جماعة «الإخوان» الدعم في نهاية التسعينيات فحسب، بل ظهر على السطح عدد من الجماعات الإسلامية أيضاً. ومن بين هذه الجماعات، “حركة التجمع الإسلامي” التي أسسها مصطفى علي الجهاني. وتتركز قاعدتها من المؤيدين بصورة تامة تقريباً في شرق البلاد، ويتشابه فكرها مع فكر «الإخوان». كما نجحت “جماعة التبليغ” العالمية في كسب مؤيدين لها في هذا الوقت، وتركزت بشكل كبير في المناطق الغربية من البلاد. غير أن “جماعة التبليغ” اختارت النأي بنفسها عن الانخراط في العمل السياسي، بعد اعتقال عدد من أعضائها في نهاية الثمانينيات، وتبعاً لذلك، فقد استمالها النظام لصالحه من خلال منح بعض أفرادها الوظائف كأئمة. إن عدد أنصار “جماعة التبليغ” في ليبيا في الوقت الحالي قليل نسبياً، حيث لا يوجد سوى مركز واحد معروف لـ “جماعة التبليغ” في البلاد.

«الجماعة الإسلامية الليبية المقاتلة»

كانت الجماعة الإسلامية صاحبة السيطرة التي تحدت نظام القذافي هي «الجماعة الإسلامية الليبية المقاتلة». ولم تعلن «الجماعة المقاتلة»عن تشكيلها حتى عام 1995، غير أنه يمكن اكتشاف أصولها من خلال حركة جهادية سرية كونها عوض الزواوي في عام 1982. وقد تمكنت «الجماعة المقاتلة»، دون أن تعلن عن اسمها الرسمي ومن خلال عملها في سرية تامة، من التوسع وكسب الكثير من المؤيدين في جميع أنحاء ليبيا على مدى أكثر من عقد من الزمان.

وخلافاً لـ جماعة «الإخوان المسلمين»، أيدت «الجماعة المقاتلة» شن عمليات عسكرية ضد نظام القذافي بهدف إسقاطه، كما خططت أيضاً للقيام بهجمات ضد شخصيات بارزة في حكومته. وبحلول عام 1989، اكتشفت السلطات هذا التمرد واعتقلت الكثير من المتمردين، بمن فيهم الزواوي نفسه بعد أن نفذت «الجماعة المقاتلة» عدة محاولات فاشلة لإسقاط نظام القذافي في الأعوام 1986 و1987 و1989. وقد اضطر أولئك الذين لم يتم القبض عليهم إلى الفرار إلى أفغانستان.

اعتمدت «الجماعة الإسلامية الليبية المقاتلة» خطة طويلة المدى للإعداد لحملتها العسكرية، كما اقتنص الكثير من أعضائها فرصة الحرب ضد السوفييت في أفغانستان في الثمانينيات بهدف تعزيز مهاراتهم القتالية. وهناك أقاموا — بالتعاون مع مواطنين ليبيين آخرين — معسكرهم الخاص وخضعوا لتدريبات عسكرية، بتوجيهات من أعضاء تنظيم «القاعدة» من حين لآخر.

ومع ذلك، تجدر الإشارة إلى أن أعضاء «الجماعة المقاتلة» كانوا الأكثر أهمية لـ تنظيم «القاعدة» من بين جميع “الأفغان العرب”. وبينما هم في المنفي في أفغانستان وباكستان، بدأت الحركة تأخذ شكل جماعة محددة المعالم. فإلى جانب التدريب العسكري، تم أيضاً تلقين المتطوعين الليبيين في أفغانستان على أيدي رجال الدين الجهاديين ذوي التأثير أمثال عبد الله عزام. وبدأ المتطوعون في تطوير مهاراتهم القتالية تحسباً لليوم الذي سيعودون فيه إلى ليبيا لمقاتلة نظام القذافي. وبعد انتهاء الحرب الجهادية الأفغانية ضد السوفييت، عاد الليبيون إلى وطنهم لتكوين خلايا، أو انتقلوا إلى السودان لإنشاء قاعدة للعمليات من أجل وضع خطط الإطاحة بنظام القذافي، أو اتخذوا من لندن كمنفى لتقديم دعم لوجستي ومالي.

According to Noman bin Othman, a senior leader and member of the Shura Council, the interval of the members of «Fighting Group» in Sudan were not present in the plans of Osama bin Laden and the organization of «Al-Qaeda». Instead, they chose Sudan as a base potential after the Afghan war in 1988-1989. Did not decide that it is appropriate to move closer towards the front of Libya only in 1993. From there, some delegations were sent to Algeria to continue training as well as providing space to enter Libya secretly.

In Libya was «Fighting Group» establish its organizational structure under the leadership of Abdullah Belhadj and develop the leadership skills of those responsible for the cells and units across the country. And Cokant «community» intends to build its capabilities are very precise, but it accelerated its plan because of a bad insurance operations in 1995. He has tried members of the «Fighting Group» Directed by a fellow from a hospital in Benghazi, is that Libyan security forces have become aware of their plan and moved quickly to suppress the movement. As a result, forced «community» to declare itself officially for the first time in October / October 1995.

Once revealed «Fighting Group» for themselves, even began to try to execute its plans to drop the system with all its strength. The group has carried out throughout the period of the nineties military operations against the Libyan regime, including several attempts to assassinate Gaddafi himself but they all failed. The income of the Libyan regime in the war with a relentless «Fighting Group», where the movement suffered many losses, including the killing of one of its founding fathers Sheikh Salah Fathi bin Sulaiman (known as Abu Abdul Rahman speech), who died in a battle with the Libyan forces near of the tuber in September / September 1997.

The stop rebellion «Fighting Group» and its terrorist campaign inside Libya by 1998. However, it did not announce the formal ceasefire until 2000. Were imprisoned many members of the movement in Libya, while decided some of the fugitives to return to Afghanistan, including the Prince of «Fighting Group» at the time, Sheikh Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq, the official religious master, Sheikh Abu Mundhir al-Saadi, and Abu Anas al-Libi, who has been involved recently in the "embassy bombings" in 1998. However, a handful of members of the movement remained in exile in London, and played an important role in the end when I started «Fighting Group» reconciliation process with the Libyan regime in 2005.

While «Fighting Group» non-approval of the plans bin Laden, including attacks of 11/9, but they have suffered severely from the consequences after the United States invaded Afghanistan. Unlike other jihadi groups that have been helping to organize «Al-Qaeda» in the fight against the United States, the majority of fighters escaped «LIFG» and its leaders in Afghanistan to Iran, where many of them were arrested and later deported. Some members remained «Fighting Group» in Afghanistan (and Pakistan) and then joined to the organization «Al-Qaeda» in their personal capacity (and we will cite further clarification about this below). But by 2004, the majority were detained leaders of the movement and its members or imprisoned or had gone into hiding or exile.

The following year, the Libyan regime began the process of reconciliation and renounce extremism initiative of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The negotiations lasted for a few years, but in September / September 2009, the leaders issued a «Fighting Group» in Libya "reviews" of the new jihad in the form of a religious document of 417 pages entitled "Corrective Studies". She explained the new revisions to the armed struggle against the Gaddafi regime illegitimate from the perspective of Islamic law and prepared new guidelines indicate when and how true jihad. However, according to these revisions that jihad is permissible if the enemy invaded a Muslim country, has been mentioned Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine as examples.

This has led in the end to the release of many of the leaders of the «Fighting Group» and its members from prison in March / March 2010. However, it is not the release of others - such as Sheikh Abdul Wahab Kaid, the brother of Abu Yahya al-Libi ideologist late in regulation «Al-Qaeda» in Afghanistan, who was also the supervisor of the operations - even after the Libyan uprising against Gaddafi's regime, which began in March / March 2011. In the end, the solution «Fighting Group» effectively when revisions have been completed. In the wake of the revolution, decided many of the leaders and members of the group and the establishment of political parties participating in the political processes of the new Libyan regime.

Islam and society

Libya has an area of about 700,000 square kilometers and a population of about 5.8 million people, of whom 1.5 million foreigners. It follows Ninety-seven percent of them Sunni sect, while the rest belonged to different Christian churches. Among the schools of jurisprudence in Islamic thought Almadrshalvgahah Maalikis dominate the population of Libya (like other countries in North Africa). There is also a minority prefer Salafi interpretations, which usually embraces Hanbali dominant in Saudi Arabia.

It was not the state constitution before the Libyan revolution in 2011, so there were not rules and regulations and determine a clear relationship between religion and society, religion and the state. However, it was to provide some guidance in the "Great Green Charter for Human Rights," which was adopted in 1988. According to the Charter, the government has dealt with most of the minority religious tolerance, but they are strongly opposed all forms of radical Islam, where I looked at him as a security threat. Also been banned all religious practices that conflicted with the government's interpretation of the law.

Without However, under Islam the state religion, as it was previously and still permeates all aspects of political and social life everyday. As is the case with all other aspects of the lives of citizens in Libya, the government was watching the [interpretation] Islam closely and organized to ensure religious life of any political dimension. The process ensured the monitoring of mosques and spread the culture of self-monitoring in general survival of both clerics and their followers within the safe lines of accepted practices, but that the degree of mosques endowed by prominent families generally have complied with the interpretation of Islam, which was approved by the government. The Gaddafi regime also maintained control of the religious literature, including Islamic literature; For example, the government prevented the arrival of crowds of Libyans to the website for the group «Muslim Brotherhood» Libyan on the Internet.

Was the "World Islamic Call Society," the official channel for the model of Islam adopted by the state. Through its focus attention on the activities that were carried out of the country, has this "assembly" to activate University - state-run - especially moderate Muslim clerics from outside the Arab world. She also worked "Assembly" before the revolution to give 5,000 students courses in Islamic thought and history and etiquette. After graduation, the government encouraged these students to return to their country and promote its interpretation of Islamic Thought.

On the other hand was "Endowment" mosques previously run and supervise the clergy had primary responsibility in ensuring that all religious practices of inclusion in the country under the banner of Islam model adopted in the country. The religious directives are required in public schools, but the government has not issued information about the religious affiliations of the children in the public schools, and there were no reports of children who move to private schools for the purpose of the study of alternative religious instruction.

In spite of these mechanisms, it has been proven that the Libyans are prone to seduce political Islam. He assumed Libyan citizens a prominent place in the senior leadership of the organization «Al-Qaeda» what that movement began to re-configure itself in Pakistan after 2004. However, some of them linked to «Al-Qaeda» back to eighties and nineties of the last century, including:

• Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, in charge of the camp, "immortal" of the notorious military training in Afghanistan. He was arrested in November 2001, and gave false testimony to the Bush administration there is a connection between Saddam Hussein and the organization «Al-Qaeda». He died in prison in Libya, with allegations of death due to torture after being deported from Guantanamo.

• Abu Faraj al-Libbi, replaced Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Kalmsúl third in the organization «Al-Qaeda» after he was arrested Mohammed until his arrest in the spring of 2005.

• Abu Anas al-Libi, was involved in the events of the embassy bombings in 1998 and is currently believed that the cells of the organization «Al-Qaeda» in Libya, despite the fact that this information is uncertain.

• God's gift Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Libi, who live - before he was killed in a raid by a drone in August / August 2011 - to become deputy leader of the organization «Al-Qaeda» and was a respected theorist. Before the death of bin Laden, was seen as a gift from God that his right arm.

In addition, a number of prominent leaders in the former «LIFG» to organize «Al-Qaeda» in their personal capacity after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, and Tboúa prominent public positions in its leadership and infrastructure. Including:

• Abu Laith al-Libi, one of the most prominent military commanders in the organization «Al-Qaeda» who fought coalition forces and Pakistani forces. He was responsible for the states of Khost, Paktia and Paktika, until he was killed by U.S. forces in the spring of 2008.

• Abu Yahya al-Libi, who rose - before he was killed in a raid by a drone in June 2012 - for the post of deputy leader of «Al-Qaeda» The head of the Committee for the religious organization «Al-Qaeda».

• Abdullah Said al-Libi, was in charge during the years 2008-2009 for the interior (the Afghan-Pakistan border area) in the Military Committee for the organization of «Al-Qaeda» until he was killed in a raid by a U.S. drone.

The Libyans significant representation in the Iraq war. In October / October 2007, captured the coalition forces in Iraq on the records in a raid near Sinjar on the Iraqi-Syrian border contained a list of foreign fighters who have joined the organization «Al-Qaeda» in Iraq between August / August 2006 and August / August 2007. The estimated proportion of the Libyan fighters by about 18.8 per cent of the foreign fighters in Iraq to occupy second place after Saudi Arabia fighters who were 41 per cent. It is worth mentioning and also striking that these fighters did not try to overthrow the Gaddafi regime when they returned to their homeland, and some of them believed to be re-integrated into society through a process of reconciliation. However, there are some signs of the return to hostilities, whether in Syria or with Islamic battalions in eastern Libya.

In addition to the activity of Islamists within Libya made ​​some Libyan fighters, who helped to overthrow the Gaddafi regime, a helping hand in the civil war against the Syrian Assad regime. He joined dozens of Libyans, if not more so, to the "Brigade of the nation", an armed group of the opposition in Syria under the leadership of the Mahdi Alharatne, who holds dual Irish and Libya, which was formerly the commander of the "Brigade of Tripoli." The Syrians more than 90 per cent of the fighters even though they are under the command of Libyans. There are at least a dozen confirmed cases of the Libyans who were killed in the Syrian battlefield.

Libya has also become a point for the transfer of fighters coming from Western Europe and Morocco to Syria. According to press reports, and sources of jihad that some of these individuals have attended training camps in Misrata and Benghazi and the desert area near the Hun and "green mountains" in the east, is that the accuracy of these reports is not known.

And up to the moment of writing this article, did not write any new Libyan government line in the Constitution. As a result, there is currently no provisions relating to religion and society. In the opinion of many Islamists and pious Muslims from non-Islamists alike that it must maintain the sanctity of the law and the letter of the Constitution. This means that access to the interpretation depends on the person thought to follow a traditional or jihad. The conflict raged on this matter with the start of the process of writing the constitution.

Islamism and the State

During the process and after the overthrow Gaddafi, political Islam returned to appearing again on the Libyan arena, wrapped in a number of Islamic movements. There are two main types: those who work under the order, and the others are playing the role of spoilers outside.

Islamist MPs

Began the process of democratic transition after the death of Gaddafi in the fall of 2011. Many thought that the group «Muslim Brotherhood» Libyan may win by a landslide in parliamentary elections, moving in on the footsteps of her brothers in Tunisia and Egypt. In the March / March 2012, she founded the group «Muslim Brotherhood» Libyan political party called "Party for Justice and Development", which follow in the footsteps of its inception, "Freedom and Justice party," the political arm of the «Muslim Brotherhood» in Egypt.

The heads Mohammed Sawan "Party for Justice and Development." Has been divided parliamentary elections so that the parties can compete for the 80 seats, while independent politicians vying for 120 seats. However, the "Party for Justice and Development" won about 17 seats of the total 80 seats allocated to the parties, to replace a second after the "coalition of the national forces," a broad-based, and which won 39 seats. However, the performance of "Party for Justice and Development" was lackluster compared with the large numbers that voted in favor of the "Freedom and Justice Party" in Egypt and "Renaissance Party" in Tunisia, where he earned on each of more than 37 per cent of the seats in parliamentary elections in their countries.

On the other hand maintained «LIFG» on her as soon as the uprising began, and no longer to jihadist activities, until it changed its name to "the Libyan Islamic Movement for Change". However, with the spread of the insurgency, joined by many members of this group to armed resistance, relying on their experience of combat in the past, most notably, a leading figure in the «Fighting Group», Abdul Hakim Belhaj, who became head of the "military council in Tripoli."

After the fall of the Gaddafi regime, split «LIFG» into two two political Tnavsta in legislative elections in July 2012: "National Party" moderate broad-based, which was joined by Belhadj, and the entity younger, "the Umma Party center" the most conservative and has a Most Islamic dye, which was joined by most members of the «Fighting Group» under the leadership of a senior figure, Sami al-Saadi. However, the "home party" did not win any seats in the election, while the "party of the center of the nation," one seat, has been allocated to Abdul Wahab Kaid, the brother of the late Abu Yahya al-Libi.

In addition, the performance of the small Islamic parties are also weak. It also did not win the "PAM" Salafi nor Islamic Party "Reform and Development", headed by Khaled Alorchwena, a former leader of the group «Muslim Brotherhood», in any seat.

Islamic groups, informal

The moment you cast the «Fighting Group» weapons after the war and engaged in the political process, begun jihadist groups new to emerge, it was the largest "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" which declared itself for the first time in February 2012 led by Muhammad Zahawi, who was imprisoned in the era of Gaddafi in prison "Abu Salim" notorious. It is believed that the group was behind the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11 / September 2012. In addition to the links on the Internet with the "Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia", the "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" ties loose with several battalions jihadist Salafism in Libya, including the "Brigades of Ansar al-Sharia in tuber" is known, led by former detainee at Guantanamo Obosevian bin Qmo. However, there is no evidence available to the public to prove coordination between the "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" and "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in the tuber." Has been involved a lot of these battalions in the "Annual Conference" for the first "battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" in June 2012; Based on the pictures the event, was attended by over a thousand people for this conference. Recent reports indicate that the number of members of the "Brigade Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi," estimated a few hundred.

Gel what matters "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" is to create their own interpretation of Islamic law. The "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" also provide local services. He served the members of this "battalion" on street cleaning and repair, provide assistance during the month of Ramadan, and they recently helping to maintain security in a hospital in Benghazi (not that the protesters to storm their base to make them abandon their security). In spite of that the group recognizes the destruction of Sufi shrines and graves in Benghazi, has tried to "Battalion Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi" to establish a foothold on the local level as a defender of hardline interpretation of Islam, while helping the community to provide basic needs for him.

The "Brigades of the prisoner Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman," a player is another new unknown on the scene and named after the spiritual leader for "Egyptian Islamic Group," which is currently serving a life sentence in the United States for his involvement in the events of the attack on the "World Trade Center" in 1993, among a host of other conspirators. Little is known about the group's leadership or even its size, but it was responsible for a series of attacks in Benghazi in the months of May / May and June 2012, including two attacks against "the International Committee of the Red Cross" and a bomb attack on the U.S. consulate and carry out an attack on the convoy British Ambassador.