Berber Separatism: Text Out of Context

The above Arabic text shows the answer of Mahmoud al-NakouaIn, NTC's representative to London, to the question of "separatism" in Libya.

In an interview with Magazine magazine, as quoted by the website of the Libyan embassy in London (http://ntclibya.org.uk), the honourable writer says the percentage of ethnic or "racial" movements in Libya is "small", and all of which had declared their loyalty to the "nation"; but "they" do need to enjoy some kind of freedom, use "their language" (meaning Berber), and name their children as they wish. 

He also said that Gaddafi came in conflict "with them" [meaning with the Berbers] and banned "them" from using "their language" [meaning Tamazight] and "suppressed their culture"; but now "they" are looking forward to "bring out" this aspect of "their" culture which is their "right", and there is no problem regarding this, he says. We do not fear any danger from this side, as Libya has now passed the danger zone, he affirmed.

That was more-or-less the translation of the text in the above image. At first reading, these appear good words, but a closer look at the "terminology" used one cannot escape the old same "story". 

The first thing one notices is that most of these Arab writers and speakers never specifically mention "Berber" or "Berbers" by name, and most often they use terms like "them", "they" and "ethnic components" to refer to the native Berbers of Libya [as bracketed above]. The terms Berber and Imazighen are taboos as well as "sensitive issues Libyans rarely talk about".  Why?

Secondly, most Libyans already know that the Berbers of Libya have no intention nor have made any demands regarding "separatism" as such. Where did these "accusations" come from? Even if they were made somewhere, they must be "very small", and do not represent the Berbers' demands, at all. The Berbers have always stood united with all Libyans and they have no intention of dividing Libya or any other country for that matter.

All this talk of "separatism" and "foreign agendas" is old, very old indeed, and was used before by despots to suppress the true demands of the "persecuted natives" of so many countries from around the world, European ones included.

Not to say,  "self determination" does not mean "separatism" but unity on equal basis. But that may be too-daring "truth" many see dangerous to uphold. Ask any critic to present evidence for these "foreign agendas" and  "separatism" and they will give you none. Why?

Honourable leaders and writers ought to refrain from using "unfair" and "untrue" labels, particularly at this critical stage;  and one can only agree with the Honourable writer when he called for the need to use "positive" and "good" words to aid solving the issues troubling the Libyan society, and the need for people to read more than write.

But there it seems the usual attempt to "mask" the true demands of the Berbers, simply "official recognition of identity" and "greater freedom to express their unique culture", by labeling them with "separatism" and even "terrorism" (in the case of the Tuareg Berbers), does allure time. Why?

Why not represent the Berbers' demands as they are without taking them out of con-text?

Libya's First Democratic Elections: Zuwarah

Abubaker Attaloua', the president of Zuwarah's Local Council.

The Berber city of Zuwarah became the first ever city in Libya to organise and hold democratic elections after the liberation of Libya, while they were still fighting to liberate their town alone. The following Libya TV interview (in Berber) speaks to some of the organisers of the elections, including Ashour Almansouri, who pointed out that the NTC should have published guidelines and laws governing the elections in Libya. But due to lack of such guidelines from the government the Zuwarah elections, he said, were a local effort based on the goodwill of the people. 

A few months later the NTC did publish the "Election Law Project" but the law was unusually un-numbered and undated! People in Mesratha are still protesting at the Justice Square (رفع-الاعتصام-الدائم-إلى-اعتصام-ثقافي-ب), demanding elections (to elect the local council, "correct the path", and other issue that were a constant source of protests across Libya in the past two months). In fact even the protests started in Benghazi on the 12th of December 2011 are still going in Tree Square, as of January 2012 (اعتصامات-في-ميدان-الشجرة-تدخل-شهرها-ال).

The story of Zuwarah's first elections in New Libya -- in Tamazight ('Berber Language').
Temehu.com has summarised the main points made by each speaker in English as follows:

Ashour Almansouri had clarified a number of issues regarding the actual procedure:

• A vote of 51% is required to declare a winner, and if there was no winner, then the first and the second will go into the second round of elections to decide the final winner.

• When he was asked to provide details, he said that a Preparation Committee was first of all selected to organise and prepare for the elections.

• Regarding the actual list of the candidates he says originally there were twelve people who put their names forward for the elections, but five withdrew their names later including one woman, just before the elections started. 

• They set up two polling stations, facing each other, one for men voters and the other for women, he said.

• The revolutionaries, he added, demanded extending the elections for another day because many fighters still fighting in the frontline (in liberated Libya), and this they did, and attendance overall he said was "reasonable".

• They offered to conduct the counting of votes before the voters themselves, to make sure of the results, but he said most voters declared their loyalty to and trust in the Committee, and that even those who did not vote were happy with the results -- amazing.

• The winner was Dr. Abubaker Ibrahim Attaloua', who secured a majority of 63.48 % of the vote.

• But the total number of people who voted was only 1585 voters -- hardly a democratic representation of Zuwarah -- just over 3% of the population of Zuwarah (according to the outdated census).

• When he was asked if the elections can be repeated to allow more people the chance to take part, he replied by saying that the election stations continued to be open in the second day until there were no voters outside, and that the winner will remain the head of the council until the transitional period of the NTC comes to an end.

Zuwarah's Libya's First Elections. 

Muneer Bosaoud says that the idea of the elections goes back to the Crisis Council that was set up in Djerba, in Tunisia, by the Berbers of Zuwara to assist during the war for freedom. After the presumed liberation the members of the Crisis Council returned to Zuwarah; many of whom resigned from the council because Libya was declared liberated, and because, they said, a new council should be formed to represent the whole of Zuwarah and not just a few self-appointed activists. 

• The remaining five members immediately began debating the idea of holding an election in Zuwarah to elect a democratic council to represent the whole community of Zuwarah. 

• The names of the remaining team are as follows: Muneer Abosaoud, Salim Mousa, Sha'ban Bosaoud, Othman Rwiha, and Salah Sha'ban Senusi. 

• They prepared their plan and then took it to Adel Alkhallas, who represented legitimate authority in Zuwarah at the time, Muneer said, and requested from him to work with them.

• The committee included two representatives from each of the various civil components of the Berber society including two from the February Revolutionaries -- all men, without a single woman.

• The whole operation was executed with speed, he adds, because the previous members of the Crisis Council who resigned left a "vacuum" in administration, which they felt needed to fill immediately. This may explain the very low number of voters who turned up to vote, or is the cause of the low turnout to begin with! It seems that everything, like elsewhere, done in a hurry under the pretext of urgency and in realty progress is deadly slow!

• Muneer emphasised the transparency issue, and added that the councils of Tripoli, Mesratha and Tajura had also demanded similar elections, and it is an honour for all of us for others to follow the experiment of Zuwarah if it succeeds. 

Fawzi Elmeskhout however was positively critical and to the point:

• He says first of all we must know that Zuwarah has not been liberated like other Libyan towns and cities because it is surrounded by the so-called "Black Crescent" -- in reference to the Arab villages surrounding Zuwarah, almost all of which are still supporting Gaddafi (nearly three months after liberation); but it is an honour, he adds, that Zuwarah had "lifted our heads high" for being the first in Libya to hold democratic elections.

Khaled Ftis moreover provides more information about the elected council, which slightly differ from Muneer's statement: 

• Khaled said they did select a council, and that the members of the council were elected to advise the president of the council (Dr. Abubaker) and work with him for the benefit of all; but no one took any notice of them. The elected head Dr. Abubaker Attaloua', he adds, acts alone, making his own decisions, without any regard to the other members of the council, and that he has no administration and is influenced and directed from outside! 

• He said that the fact that we have organised the first elections in Libya is a clear sign that we are not "secluding" ourselves and that we are not "negative" as we have been criticised by others.

• He also pointed out the need to translate what the Berbers debate in Tamazight to Arabic, so that all Libyans can understand what the Berbers are talking about. This is a valid point often overlooked by the current government of Libya, as it made no attempt to educate the Arabs of Libya about the true identity of the Berbers in Libya, about their Libyan culture, and about the persecution they endured under the previous regimes. The NTC needs to supervise the democratic debate over the Berber crisis.