ISLAM IN LIBYAN ARAB

Libya is overwhelmingly a Sunni Muslim nation of the Malikite rite. The Malikites accept the Koran and the Hadith as the only primary sources of the Islamic faith.

Religion in Libya permeates all facets of life. The people are fundamentally attached to their Islamic faith. The Revolutionary system is strongly committed to Islam and has on several occasions explicitly reaffirmed Islamic values. In November 1973, the new code of law appeared, emphasising the Islamic Sharia (the Law) in all facets of the Libyan legal system. After the Revolution in September 1969 and in compliance with the Muslim faith, all alcoholic beverages were outlawed. Bars and night-clubs were closed, and modest and provocative entertainment was banned. The use of the Muslim calendar was made mandatory.

The Constitutional Declaration of December 11, 1969, which has been until March 2, 1977, the constitution of the country, explicitly stated in Article I that Islam is the religion of the State. It added that the State would protect the freedom of existing religious rites in accordance with customary traditions (Article 2), thus guaranteeing freedom of religion to others.

Restore Islam

Colonel Qadhafi himself is a devout Muslim strongly attached to the faith of his fathers. He endeavours to restore Islam in the world. He encouraged the establishment of the Muslim Call (al-dawa al-Islamiya) under Sheikh Sobhi, a learned and outstanding man. He was appointed as Secretary-General of the Society of the Muslim Call. Most of their work is centred on the spread of Islam throughout Africa and the providing of funds for Muslims wherever they might be. Muslims in the Philippines are supported in their struggle for civil rights. Muslims, however, shy away from the word propagation of the faith a term usually used by Christians.

They maintain that one is called to Islam or the faith, and hence the semantic distinction between propagation of the faith and the Society of the Muslim Call.

The Grand Mufti, as in every other Muslim country, plays a central role in the life of Libya. Colonel Qadhafi has on many occasions consulted closely with religious leaders. In a state visit to Yugoslavia and France in November 1973, he was accompanied by both Sheikh Alzawi, the Grand Mufti, and Sheikh Sobhi, the Secretary-General of the Society of the Muslim Call. During the visit special attention was given to the Muslim minority in Yugoslavia. This is the first time in the contemporary period that a Muslim State has taken special care of Muslims the world over.

In the same spirit the Jihad Fund was established in 1970 by a special payroll tax to provide assistance to the Palestinian struggle against Israel, the country which Libya considers to be a threat to the integrity of Islam. A jihad normally refers to a holy war, and all good Muslims are expected to support it.

Sanusi brotherhood

It is of historical interest to observe that the famous 19th century Sanusi brotherhood, a militant Sufi religious order, lost most of its strength as a religious movement after the Italians destroyed its religious and educational centres in the late twenties and early thirties. It was strong in Cyrenaica and parts of Fezzan. The former King, Idris, exploited his position as Grand Sanusi to bolster his political position. For all practical purposes and after internal struggles within the Sanusi movement itself, the influence of the Order waned and is now practically extinct. In October 1969 the Revolutionary Command Council appointed a supervisor for the remaining Sanusi property, mainly educational centres, and merged the Sanusi-sponsored Islamic University with the University of Libya in November 1970. Islamic studies are now located in Beida, which has become a centre of Islamic teaching for the whole Islamic world. Generous scholarships bring Muslim scholars from all parts of the world to be trained in Libya.

Centrality of Islam

The best expression of the views on modern Islam was made in a number of speeches by Colonel Qadhafi collected in Thawrat al Shaab al Arabi Al Libi. The Colonel expresses clearly the centrality of Islam in the new revolutionary Libya. He describes Islam in contemporary revolutionary terms, maintaining that it is the only viable system which can help answer man's political, economic and social problems on this earth and at the same time provide him with happiness in the world to come. To Colonel Qadhafi, Islam is a living philosophy which would be adopted by all mankind if it were universally known. Religion in Libya is of the utmost importance if one wishes to understand what is taking place in that country today.

Islam is synonymous with man's struggle for justice, an important objective of the Revolution. Islam, declares Colonel Qadhafi, would not be used as during the monarchical period to serve and benefit the few. He condemned those who claimed to be pious Muslims and then lived corrupt lives, selling their consciences, mocking the people, and indeed hating Islam and the Arabs. The Revolution occurred because of men of this ilk declares Colonel Qadhafi. He adds that the Revolution intends to follow in the path of true Islam. This is a clear expression of the centrality of Islam in the new Muslim-Libyan community which must be strong and pure.

Islam is universal but it will not destroy the nation, emphasises Colonel Qadhafi. The world is made up of nation states, and destroying them will be like destroying the family in society. This is a clear recognition of nationalism. It is made even clearer when Colonel Qadhafi asks the rhetorical question, 'For whom do we provide assistance in the struggle of the Muslims in the Philippines, or the struggle of the Arabs in Palestine, whom do we help? It is natural that we first help the Palestinians, and then the Muslims in the Philippines.' He continues again, 'lslam is the soul and the Arabs are the body. The Arabs are the soldiers of Islam, they were the first to carry God's message. It is in their language that the Koran was given. God chose us (Arabs) to fulfil his message...' Thus, concludes the Colonel, the Arabs must first unite, and then think of alliances with Muslim and other powers.

Progressive faith

Furthermore, 'Islam is a progressive faith, and as such it helps move man; without it he becomes a slave of material things and Muslims must be slaves of God alone. Our hearts are full of faith, and this is why we are the freest of all people...some Arab leaders do not wish to discuss Islam and in fact shy away from praying publicly, for they fear to be labelled reactionary... this is far from the reality of things...for we are revolutionists and Islam is indeed the true Revolution...Islam is progressive while Communism and Liberalism are truly reactionary. Islam discussed justice and socialism before Marx or Lenin, it called for humanism, it freed the Negro and encouraged learning...it upheld the rights of the oppressed before Marx, Lenin, or Mao, or Castro ever uttered a word on the subject.' It supported the poor and the blind, and it is in this spirit that the Zaka was introduced. The Zaka is a voluntary tax that the Muslims gather for the community. It is nothing less than what so-called 19th and 20th century progressives describe as social security. According to Colonel Qadhafi, the Koran abolished classes before communism ever mentioned it. He maintains that Islam fought foreign colonialism despite what a 1954 Moscow pamphlet claims. It was Islam that moved the Libyans to fight the Italian occupation, protests the Colonel.

To Colonel Qadhafi, Islam is a continuous revolution for the benefit of mankind. It has been able to provide answers for political, social, economic questions, and even questions of peace and war. It fought discrimination, corruption, and prejudice against those who did not speak Arabic nor practice Islam. The Cultural Revolution, explains Colonel Qadhafi, did not come from China; it was first found in Islam. He adds, Islam is not the religion of those who sit in mosques not even in the Kabaa and do nothing but pray. It is a religion of labour and struggle; it fights for socialism, unity and freedom - the three objectives of the Revolution.

All this reflects clearly what the leaders of the Revolution consider to be the role of the Islamic world. They clearly establish the fact that Islam is a continuous and real revolution with a relevant message to the people of the 20th century. They want to make it clear that man without religion is in great peril.

Reasonableness

To see the reasonableness and the lack of blind fanaticism in Colonel Qadhafi, one must reflect on his statement allowing, and in fact encouraging, the translation of the Koran into other languages. The Koran was given by God in Arabic through an Arab Prophet in an Arab land. The Colonel insists that it must be explained to others, and in their languages since Islam was intended to liberate mankind, wipe out corruption and achieve, general welfare. Never before has any serious and committed Muslim leader called for translation of the Koran. Most of them considered such a thing a sacrilege. on the other hand, Colonel Qadhafi adopts the positive side of making Islam truly universal by explaining to all the world the message of the Prophet Muhammad. This is a reflection of an enlightened and positive leader who wishes to open up the world for Islam and not restrict it as did the members of the secret organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood. The latter was founded in 1928 by Hassan Al Banna who attempted to restore Islam within the Arab World through secret and subversive ways. The Colonel condemns this sort of secrecy and says that Islam is a universal religion and need never be a secret, especially in Muslim countries. Those who wish to serve Islam should serve it openly and not in secret. He further challenges the Muslim Brotherhood to establish their movement in non-Muslim countries and pledges them support. He insists that he does not hate the Muslim Brotherhood as such but rather their conspiratorial character. If the Colonel were a fanatic as some misguided people in the West contend, he would have been a supporter of their fanaticism.

Colonel Qadhafi promised to revise the whole Libyan judicial system in conformity with the Sharia or Muslim law. This task was given to a special judicial committee of leading experts under the presidency of Sheikh Ali Ali Mansour, president of the Supreme Court. In November 1973, the whole judicial system was restructured to reflect the Sharia