The OBS Express

A Newsletter of the Call Them Out Society, Ltd.,

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Volume 2, Number 1 April 5, 2011

Standing up to Rape in Libya:

Eman al-Obeidy, a Hero for Our Time & All Time
by Jane Gilgun

E man al-Obeidy, a citizen of Libya, stood up to a tyrannical government that permits rape
of women as one of its many government-approved crimes against humanity. Eman, a law
student, took her case to reporters who represent the international media. She had
widespread bruises on her face. Before she could say what she wanted to say, governmental
security forces dragged her away as she shouted out her story. The resulting publicity probably
saved her life.

For the past several weeks, Libya has been the focus of international attention because of armed
rebellion against the 42-year dictatorship of Muammar al-Qaddafi, who responded to the
rebellion with brutality. The United Nations is now involved on the side of the rebels. As with
any form of interpersonal violence, rape is the logical consequence of system-wide approval of
brutality toward others. Some governments, however, are less forthright than others in
persecuting survivors of brutality. The Libyan government has persecuted Eman al-Obeidy.

The Story

Eman al-Obeidy was at a checkpoint in Tripoli when members of the armed militia forced her
from a taxi, beat her, and raped her over a two-day period. She escaped and decided to tell her
story to reporters. After governmental military men dragged her away from the press conference,
they put her in solitary confinement. Trauma survivors require the safety of secure relationships
and the companionship of compassionate human beings. Instead, military men subjected her to
repeated interrogations and demands that she attribute the rape, beating, and abduction to rebel
and not governmental military men. She had neither medical nor psychological care during her
three days of confinement.

Once released, Eman told her story to reporters for the international media. In an interview with
a non-governmental satellite channel, she said, “During my entire arrest period,” she said, “I
was being asked one thing: To come out on the Libyan state channel and say that those who
kidnapped me were not from Qaddafi’s security forces. Rather, they were from the
revolutionaries and armed gangs. That was their only request. I kept refusing.”

Governmental Character Assassination

According to media reports, a government spokesperson put out a series of statements meant to
discredit Eman. At first, she was drunk and probably crazy. Next, that she had good mental
health and the government had accepted her charges as credible. Then, the spokesperson said the
government dropped the rape charges because she had refused medical treatment.
In actuality, Eman had received medical treatment immediately after her escape from the
checkpoint militiamen. A medical exam had confirmed that she had been raped. Finally, the
spokesperson invited a small group of women reporters to a press conference that Eman would
hold, only later to say that Eman had refused to appear. Eman later said this was all fabrication.

Qaddafi supporters circulated on the internet what they said was a pornographic video of Eman.
It was a video of a fully clothed woman doing a belly dance, and the woman was not Eman.

In two different interviews, Eman said that governmental spokespersons had said they would
press charges against those who had beaten, raped, and abducted her. “They told me that they
will take all necessary measures to arrest those responsible.” She followed up on these
assurances and found that the attorney general "had not done anything so far.”

Usual Practice

The brutality toward Eman is the lot of many women. Under the Qaddafi government, women
have been forced to marry their rapists or be confined to houses of “rehabilitation,” where their
only escape is for someone to offer to marry them. Otherwise, they remain for years. Rape is not
so much a crime against survivors, but a dishonor to survivors’ families. The families of
survivors who are not forced to marry their rapists or who are not sent to “rehabilitation” often
shun the women and even force them to leave the family. This essentially drive them onto the
streets, surviving as best they can. Such treatment includes girl survivors of child sexual abuse as
well as survivors of rape of any age.

Many Recognize Eman’s Courage

A website that stands in opposition to the Qaddafi government declared Eman “pure,
courageous, and lion-hearted.”

Of course, the story is not over. No one knows what further actions the government will take
against Eman al-Obeidy. In an interview today with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Cooper asked
Eman if she is safe, she said, “There’s no safe place for me in Tripoli.”

Discussion

Raped, beaten, and abducted by governmental soldiers, Eman al-Obeidy escaped and told the
truth. Strong-armed and dragged from a press conference, she continued to speak the truth. In
solitary confinement and berated to lie about who perpetrated the crimes against her, she spoke
the truth. The target of lies and calumny that drew upon the woman-hating beliefs indigenous to
many parts of the world, Eman al-Obeidy told the truth.

The story is not over. Eman is in danger. Those whose power she has challenged may yet kill
her. That is usual practice.

This is one more instance of the abuse of power that many enact. It’s not just Qaddafi who
creates conditions where people like Eman al-Obeidy are denigrated, used, and abused for the
gratification of those who believe they have the right to do what they want, take what they want,
and destroy what they want.

Many people are mindless and selfish and do acts that are similar. It is people like Eman al-
Obeidy who have the courage to stand up to them. Eman risks her life. The checkpoint soldiers
perpetrated egregious harm. A government and a social system attempted to cover up their
terrible deeds and do further destruction to a principled woman. A lone woman had the courage
to stand up to them.

For those of us who care about other human beings and who hold values such as fairness and
care, the issue is how we can stand up to the mindless violations of those who have power and
use their power to satisfy their twisted desires. Brutality trickles down from governments that
enact it. Those who believe violence is a way of showing who is on top act out what
governments permit. Thus, there is a trickle down and a trickle up.

Only  torrents  of  non-­‐violent  persons  like  Eman  al-­‐Obeidy  can  stop  this  noxious  flow.    

About  OBS  Express  

The OBS Express is a newsletter that appears occasionally to call out perpetrators of
unkind deeds and cover-ups, to celebrate those who stand up to perpetrators, and to recognize
perpetrators who change their ways. This story celebrates a young woman who is risking her life
on behalf of the truth. Jane Gilgun is the editor-in-chief.

This article is inspired by On Being a Shit: Unkind Deeds & Cover-Ups in Everyday Life,
which is available on Amazon Kindle, scribd.com, and other internet booksellers for a variety of
e-readers and mobile devices and as a soft cover on lulu.com and other booksellers.

References

Gilgun, Jane F. (2010). Evil feels good: Think before you act. Roots of Violence, Seeds of
Change, 1(2), http://www.scribd.com/doc/38489251/Evil-Feels-Good-Think-Before-You-Act

Gilgun, Jane F. (2010). Why they do it: Beliefs and emotional gratification lead to violent
acts. http://www.scribd.com/doc/30778872/Why-They-Do-It-Beliefs-Emotional-Gratification-
Lead-to-Violent-Acts

Gilgun, Jane F. (2008). On being shit: Unkind deeds & cover-ups in everyday life.
Amazon Kindle, scribd.com, lulu.com, and other internet booksellers.

Joyella, Mark (2011, April 5). Alleged Libyan rape victim Eman al-Obediy on CNN: “I
refused to be silent.” http: www.medidate.com/tv/alledged-libyan-rape -victim-eman-al-obeidy-
on-cnn-i-refused to be silent/

Kirkpatrick, David R. (2011, April 5). Rape victim is helped by publicity. New York
Times, p. A10.

About the Author

Jane F. Gilgun, Ph.D., LICSW, is a professor, School of Social Work, University of

Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA. See professor Gilgun’s other books, articles, & children’s stories
on Amazon Kindle, iBooks, & scribd.com for a variety of e-readers and mobile devices.