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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Libya
Index
Qadhafi was evidently disappointed with the failure of the
Libyan populace to embrace and practice the principles of the Third
Universal Theory. Characteristically impatient, by 1973 Qadhafi had
grown critical of the people's lack of revolutionary commitment. He
complained of the general refusal to fill positions in the military
or to take jobs in the countryside (for which foreign workers had
to be recruited), of students who wished to study only in the
United States, and of an increase in the crime rate. Perhaps worst
of all to Qadhafi was the apathy and reluctance with which a
significant portion of the Libyan people greeted the impending
Libyan merger with Egypt scheduled for September of 1973. He
contended that such attitudes threatened the revolutionary advances
anticipated when the monarchy was overthrown. That action had
changed the form of government, but if other fundamental social,
economic, and political changes were to be accomplished, the people
would have to be rededicated to the Revolution. Thus in an April
15, 1973, speech at Zuwarah, Qadhafi proclaimed the Cultural
Revolution.
The Cultural Revolution comprised five points: the annulment of
all existing laws promulgated by the previous monarchical regime
and their replacement by laws based on sharia; the repression of
communism and conservatism by purging all political deviates--those
who opposed or resisted the revolution, such as communists,
atheists, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, advocates of
capitalism, and agents of Western propaganda; the distribution of
arms to the people so that a popular resistance would protect the
revolution; administrative reform to end excessive bureaucracy,
dereliction of duty, and bribery; and the promotion of Islamic
thought by rejecting any ideas that were not in keeping with it,
especially ideas imported from other countries and cultures.
People's committees were established nationwide to enforce these
policies and to control the revolution from below
(see Subnational Government and Administration
, this ch.). If the people refused to
participate in the popular revolution, Qadhafi threatened to
resign, a tactic he had used on several occasions.
In May 1973, Qadhafi discussed the cultural revolution with
foreign reporters and tried to stress its dissimilarity from the
Chinese Cultural Revolution. According to Qadhafi, the Libyan
Cultural Revolution--unlike the Chinese Cultural Revolution--did
not introduce something new, but rather marked the return to the
Arab and Islamic heritage. It represented a quest for authenticity
in that it tried to forge or unearth linkages to the religiocultural foundations of society.
Several experts agree that Libya's Cultural Revolution struck
a responsive chord in the Libyan psyche, similar to that struck by
the rejection of Westernization in Iran. To a significant extent,
Qadhafi's insistence on a foreign policy independent of either
superpower, his hostility toward Israel and its supporters, his
search for an alternate model based on indigenous Muslim values,
and his criticism of bureaucracy and consumerism were shared by the
Libyan people. Qadhafi did not appear odd in the Libyan context,
despite his image in the foreign media. Instead, as expert Lisa
Anderson stated, he was "an uncanny reflection of the average
Libyan."
Data as of 1987
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