| Libya, Pan African Open door to Mass Incarceration |
| HASSAN MASIKY | ||||||||||||
 As Morocco took draconian measures to stop the influx of “illegal” immigrants from its territory toward Spain, desperate and impoverished souls from as close as Algeria and as far as Uzbekistan had to find different ways to sneak to this false El Dorado called Europe. One of the new venues for the want to be immigrants into Europe is Libya!Since the death of “Al-Rais”, the Libyan leader Muamar Al-Qaddafi has portrayed himself as the Pan-Arab leader who inherited Arab Nationalism from the late Egyptian President Jamal abdel-Nasser. In his speeches and writings, including the Green Book, the Colonel proclaimed himself as the guardian of Arab honor -For the record Libya has an Amazigh population. Qaddafi stated many times over that the Libyan borders are open to all Arabs who want to visit or work. In recent years and after several failed attempts to create a Union with different Arab countries, the Libyan leader turned toward the African continent to fulfill his dream of ruling a multi-states empire. Unhappy with the indifference of several Arab leaders to his grandiose speeches, Muammar declared Libya as the epicenter of the African continent where Africans of all nationalities, religions and ethnic groups can come to work or visit at whim. So, it is no surprise that several thousands of Arabs and Africans flocked to oil rich Libya; some in search of work and others to use its 4500 Kilometers of coastal lines as a staging base for the crossing to Europe. Since Qaddafi, as the chair of the African Union, has endorsed a vision of a single African state, where all Africans have the freedom of movement within the continent, officials in Libya had to drop any entry requirements to the country making Libya a magnet for immigrants wanting to make the perilous journey to Malta or Italy. While dreaming of their passage to “the promised land”, thousands of Africans, Arabs, and Asians had to settle in Libya creating a delicate situation where thousands of impoverished and unemployed young men are roaming the streets of several Libyan cities awaiting the opportunity- if it ever comes- to make the crossing to the other side of the Mediterranean. The uneasy co-existence of this large number of “foreigners” among the local population led to an unspoken but systematic campaign by the Libyan security services to arrest and jails all outsiders who do not have legal residency in Al-Jamahiriya. A large number of immigrants from Chad, Niger, Sudan, Cameroon and Nigeria among other nationalities are held in several jails throughout Libya without a fair trial or the right to contact their families or an international agency. Up until recently, few stories have emerged from Libya detailing the poor condition in which immigrants live in several Libyan prisons. However, a Moroccan former detainee who made it safe to his home country detailed his ordeal in an interview to the popular Moroccan daily “Al-Massae”. In a horrifying tail of his stay in “Al-Falah” jail in Tripoli, Tarik Nacirri told of inhuman conditions, lack of basic needs and no access to the outside world to the point of madness. Mr. Nacirri told of dozens of captives from different Arab and African countries languishing in detention. The brave former detainee detailed the cases of a number of prisoners going mad on the face of the absence of communications with their families. According to Tarik, the Moroccan Embassy in Tripoli is not assisting Moroccan citizens detained in Libya. If it is the case, that would be a negligence of duties from the part of the Moroccan diplomats stationed in that country. It is the duty of the Moroccan Counselor section to assist any and all Moroccan citizens in need of help while in a foreign country. Regardless of their legal status in Libya and their intentions, Moroccan all Moroccan prisoners on Libyan jails must be assisted by Moroccan diplomats in accordance with Moroccan and international laws. More alarming than Tariks’s story, is the high numbers of posting to “Al-Masses” website from individuals asking about relatives that disappeared in Libya. While most of the individuals who tracked to Libya went by their own volition, the Moroccan state has the legal and moral obligation to insure their safety and well being while in custody. Furthermore, Moroccan authorities should be working with their Libyan counterpart to repatriate all Moroccan citizens back to their homeland. After all these detainees are not criminal, unless being poor is a crime! The open door immigration policy of Tripoli has encouraged thousands of Arabs and Africans to come to Libya. Unfortunately, the Libyan leader’s rhetoric does not match the reality on the ground in and around Libyan cities. On one hand the Libyan leader as the self-proclaimed king of kings and the true pan-African leader believes in open borders for all Africans and Arabs, on the other the Libyan Navy is running joint boat patrols with the Italians arresting immigrants trying to cross to the Italian peninsula. In 2009 Libyan authority accepted the return of hundreds of immigrants forcibly deported by the Italian police. Libya has to stop playing with the emotions of thousands of venerable poor people that believe in the brotherly reception that awaits them if they decide to stop by Libya on their quest for a supposedly better life in Europe. Libya must either impose Visas on the Arabs and Africans or create a true heaven for the disfranchised masses that Qaddafi pretends to champion. So much for Al-Qawmiya Al-Arabiya (Arab Nationalism) !!
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Comments (5)
Moroccan Patriot
said:
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... Any man that makes friends with the people who killed members of his family has no honor and no Dignity. Anything Khaddafi says needs to be taken with a very large grain of salt as it comes from someone who has no honor and no dignity. He is weak. |
Craiig Mead
said:
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Tolerance for Khaddafi is not such a bad idea There is no doubt life in a prison, whether in Cuba, the U.S., Libya, China or Mexico - is horrible and maddening. There is no doubt the judicial systems of all of these nations is slanted to incarcerate the poor at a higher rate than those who can afford good attorneys and proper representation. While the 'crimes' spoken about Libya's policies or treatment are probably true, in the U.S. the prisons are also overcrowded and we all know of some fairly horrid stories about the judicial system of the U.S. I worked for a Federal Judge (retired) and can tell you of plenty of injustice and blunders - tens of thousands of them - right here at home. That said, as Obama moves to 'enjoin the world' as one people, and Christians, Jews and Muslim citizens reach out to each other for form a more peaceful, tolerant and enlightened world, does not that same tolerance for our individual cultures extend to the 'mad man' they call Khaddafi - and his son - and his people. He isn't arming himself with nuclear weapons and in today's world, that's a good sign he's interested in improving diplomatic relations. He is extremely vocal and yes, many people hear his speeches and sometimes roll in laughter or disgust or are cynical of his motives and perhaps they are right, but as each man brings forth his vision for the world, whether it is the ideal democracy, ideal religious state, ideal capitalist state, ideal socialist state, do we not have a reason to listen and perhaps learn, taking some small part, the best parts, of each man's vision and attempting to apply it to our own vision of the planet we are all to share. It is by listening as a friend and student first, even to the mad man, the homeless man, living on the street, that we grow inside, with our own tolerance and acceptance of their opinion, and if we are lucky, learn something from their words - and thereafter - thank them for the lesson. Khaddafi is probably a hypocrite in many ways - as are nearly all politicians: it comes with the turf. Eloquent speeches made by politicians are rarely backed by supporting action. I do believe in Khaddafi's vision of uniting Africa for the benefit of Africa. I am not sure if Khaddafi can garner the respect of the nations around him to do the job, nor do I believe his current methods are effective at accomplishing it in any reasonable time period. We had a plan we presented to his Ministers to reclaim much of the Sahara for agriculture production - and received no reply from the government. We had a plan for Morocco to do the same thing with the Western Sahara - and received no reply from the government. We had a plan for helping the Obama administration cure the federal deficit of the U.S. and boost manufacturing - and received no reply from the government. In each case the plans were sent to at least 10 people related to the government - yet no reply was received and in each case, the plans or components within the plans, were drafted or added by world-class scientists, engineers, educators and architects from firms and institutions like NASA, Stanford, retired U.S. and Foreign Military personnel, retired Congressmen and women, the University of Phoenix, Berkeley, UCSB, GE Wind, the AWEA etc. and input was received from some high ranking officials; Mayors and Governors - with their visions and requirements used to help shape the plan. No reply from national governments, but lots of speeches and spending. What's the difference? Political inaction at the national level has led to a global economic collapse and rising political tension as nations like Iran and North Korea advance towards highly aggressive states, rather than at least ATTEMPTING to engage in peaceful progress. While Khaddafi's speeches are perhaps just as empty as those of other leaders, I believe his vision, or at least the right to express it and perhaps stir some new vision in someone else, is just as valid as the current 'vision' of folks like the Federal Reserve of the U.S. and the Obama administration and their attempt to spend the U.S. economy back on track - a huge waste of capital, of resources, of time and is simply burying us (and the world) in debt, crippling billions of families worldwide - a horrific sequence of events to be sure. So, let Khaddafi speak...its better than having a man with his resources turn to a nuclear agenda. Let the families of those imprisoned speak out - and perhaps someone, somewhere in government will listen and attempt to resolve cases of those falsely imprisoned. And let the scientists and engineers, auditors and politicians speak about plans to change our planet. Perhaps someday the politicians of many nations will actually answer their mail and wouldn't that be a wonderful event...indeed. |
Craiig Mead
said:
|
Libya, Morocco, Africa, the Middle East, European, Asian and American cultures There is no doubt life in a prison, whether in Cuba, the U.S., Libya, China or Mexico - is horrible and maddening. There is no doubt the judicial systems of all of these nations is slanted to incarcerate the poor at a higher rate than those who can afford good attorneys and proper representation. While the 'crimes' spoken about Libya's policies or treatment are probably true, in the U.S. the prisons are also overcrowded and we all know of some fairly horrid stories about the judicial system of the U.S. I worked for a Federal Judge (retired) and can tell you of plenty of injustice and blunders - tens of thousands of them - right here at home. That said, as Obama moves to 'enjoin the world' as one people, and Christians, Jews and Muslim citizens reach out to each other for form a more peaceful, tolerant and enlightened world, does not that same tolerance for our individual cultures extend to the 'mad man' they call Khaddafi - and his son - and his people. He isn't arming himself with nuclear weapons and in today's world, that's a good sign he's interested in improving diplomatic relations. He is extremely vocal and yes, many people hear his speeches and sometimes roll in laughter or disgust or are cynical of his motives and perhaps they are right, but as each man brings forth his vision for the world, whether it is the ideal democracy, ideal religious state, ideal capitalist state, ideal socialist state, do we not have a reason to listen and perhaps learn, taking some small part, the best parts, of each man's vision and attempting to apply it to our own vision of the planet we are all to share. It is by listening as a friend and student first, even to the mad man, the homeless man, living on the street, that we grow inside, with our own tolerance and acceptance of their opinion, and if we are lucky, learn something from their words - and thereafter - thank them for the lesson. Khaddafi is probably a hypocrite in many ways - as are nearly all politicians: it comes with the turf. Eloquent speeches made by politicians are rarely backed by supporting action. I do believe in Khaddafi's vision of uniting Africa for the benefit of Africa. I am not sure if Khaddafi can garner the respect of the nations around him to do the job, nor do I believe his current methods are effective at accomplishing it in any reasonable time period. We had a plan we presented to his Ministers to reclaim much of the Sahara for agriculture production - and received no reply from the government. We had a plan for Morocco to do the same thing with the Western Sahara - and received no reply from the government. We had a plan for helping the Obama administration cure the federal deficit of the U.S. and boost manufacturing - and received no reply from the government. In each case the plans were sent to at least 10 people related to the government - yet no reply was received and in each case, the plans or components within the plans, were drafted or added by world-class scientists, engineers, educators and architects from firms and institutions like NASA, Stanford, retired U.S. and Foreign Military personnel, retired Congressmen and women, the University of Phoenix, Berkeley, UCSB, GE Wind, the AWEA etc. and input was received from some high ranking officials; Mayors and Governors - with their visions and requirements used to help shape the plan. No reply from national governments, but lots of speeches and spending. What's the difference? Political inaction at the national level has led to a global economic collapse and rising political tension as nations like Iran and North Korea advance towards highly aggressive states, rather than at least ATTEMPTING to engage in peaceful progress. While Khaddafi's speeches are perhaps just as empty as those of other leaders, I believe his vision, or at least the right to express it and perhaps stir some new vision in someone else, is just as valid as the current 'vision' of folks like the Federal Reserve of the U.S. and the Obama administration and their attempt to spend the U.S. economy back on track - a huge waste of capital, of resources, of time and is simply burying us (and the world) in debt, crippling billions of families worldwide - a horrific sequence of events to be sure. So, let Khaddafi speak...its better than having a man with his resources turn to a nuclear agenda. Let the families of those imprisoned speak out - and perhaps someone, somewhere in government will listen and attempt to resolve cases of those falsely imprisoned. And let the scientists and engineers, auditors and politicians speak about plans to change our planet. Perhaps someday the politicians of many nations will actually answer their mail and wouldn't that be a wonderful event...indeed. |
Hmimarmad
said:
|
... Si Hassan, you keep talking about Qaddafi, you may end up being sued by the "the leader" himself. Few weeks ago he did just that when he sued 3 Moroccan newspapers for defamation. Al-Masaa, al-Garida al-Oula, Moroccan Events and their editors and the journalists are accused of “publicly harming” quaddafi and “hurting his dignity.” In a way you are "harming" his dignity. Isn't sad that our judicial system still entertain such absurdities? Do you really think that the Moroccan embassy or Morocco in General will mess with Qaddafi? If Morocco does that, next day you'll see the mad man Qaddafi sending weapons again to Polisario. We do not want to that dude. The Moroccans stuck in Tripoli's jails have only themselves to blame, instead of crossing though the North of Morocco, The poor Africans still do that no matter how tight is the security, the Moroccans want the easy way out I guess, Well it is not as easy as they thought. We already have to deal with the enemy numero uno Algeria, we cannot afford to add Libya to the list of our enemies because few Morons chose to cross to Europe from Libya. Besides every knows that Qaddafi is flaky, it's not like we had a big surprise and the man turned mad unexpectedly. Qaddafi's son if you remember visited M6 in the middle of the Sahara in Layoune, The algerians were not happy because in a way is like a recognition by Libya that the Sahara is Moroccan. We should bank on his son to go out on a limb and supports Morocco's claim. Morocco in this case is not dumb nor stupid. They did the right thing not to piss off Qaddafi. As for this Mr Tariq, I hope that he learned his lesson. It's OK to cut diplomatic relations with Iran, but not Libya. Common sense is definitely used this time. |
Zaki
said:
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Quaddafi the fool Khaddafi is nuts... a real nut case... Trully a fool, a megalomaniac of the first order in the Arab nations.... It is a shame that such leaders are allowed to rule ..... Their differences is only in the details they all can exibit the same weird behaviors and strange self-grandiose rhetorics... But these leaders come from the streets anyway.. they come from the bossom of a psychological self-hatred and a culture of violence, greed, intolerance and faked self-righteousness,.... these leaders do not come from the sun or are pre-ordained by God rather their are the reflection of the very people they subjugate economically, and psychologically.... |
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