MIAMMAB QAOOAII OIAO

By: Abdul Hafeez Shahani

PDI Head Office Karachi
Hafeez.handsgmail.com

uammar al-Qaddafi- the great history oI Libya
was born in 1942 in the town oI Surt, in western
Libya. Raised in a Bedouin tent in the Libyan
desert, he came Irom a tribal Iamily called the al-
QadhaIah.

At the time oI his birth, Libya was an Italian colony.
In 1951, Libya gained independence under the
Western-allied King Idris.
As a young man QaddaIi was inIluenced by the
Arab nationalist movement (Arab nationalism is a
nationalist ideology celebrating the glories oI Arab
civilization, the language and literature oI the
Arabs, calling Ior rejuvenation and political union in
the Arab world. Its central premise is that the
peoples oI the Arab World, Irom the Atlantic Ocean
to the Arabian Sea, constitute one nation bound
together by common linguistic, cultural, religious,
and historical heritage. One oI the primary goals oI
Arab nationalism is the end oI Western inIluence in
the Arab World, seen as a "nemesis" oI Arab
strength, and the removal oI those Arab
governments considered to be dependent upon
Western power.),
In 1961 he entered the military college in the city
oI Benghazi. He spent Iour months receiving
military training in the United Kingdom. AIter
graduating, QaddaIi steadily rose through the ranks
oI the military. As disaIIection with King Idris
grew, QaddaIi became involved with a movement oI
young oIIicers to overthrow the king. A Talented
and charismatic man, QaddaIi political opposition
movement. On September 1, 1969, King Idris was
overthrown while he was abroad in Turkey Ior
medical treatment. He was named commander in
chieI oI the armed Iorces and chairman oI the
Revolutionary Command Council, Libya's new
ruling body. At age 27, QaddaIi had become the
ruler oI Libya.
QaddaIi's Iirst order oI business was to shut down
the American and British military bases in Libya.
He also demanded that Ioreign oil companies in
Libya share a bigger portion oI revenue with the
country.
QaddaIi put in laws criminalizing political dissent.
In 1970, he expelled the remaining Italians Irom
Libya, and emphasized what he saw as the battle
between Arab nationalism and western
imperialism. He vocally opposed Zionism and
Israel, and expelled the Jewish community Irom
Libya.
GaddaIi's second wiIe was SaIia Farkash, a Iormer
nurse Irom Obeidat tribe born in Bayda. He met her
in 1969, Iollowing the revolt, when he was
hospitalized with appendicitis. GaddaIi had eight
children, seven oI them sons and a daughter.
Muhammad al-GaddaIi, SaiI al-Islam GaddaIi,
Bulgarian nurses, Al-Saadi al-GaddaIi, Hannibal
Muammar GaddaIi, Ayesha GaddaIi, Moatassem
GaddaIi, SaiI al-Arab al-GaddaIi, Khamis GaddaIi
all are his children.
He had a cadre oI Iemale bodyguards, considered
himselI the king oI AIrica, erected a tent to stay in
when he traveled abroad, and dressed in strange
costume-like outIits. His bizarre antics oIten
distracted Irom his brutality, and earned him the
nickname "the mad dog oI the Middle East."
By the end oI February, the opposition had gained
control over much oI the country, and the rebels
Iormed a governing body called the National
Transitional Council. The opposition surrounded
Tripoli, where QaddaIi still had some support. Most
oI the international community expressed support
Ior the NTC, and called Ior the ouster oI QaddaIi.
At the end oI March, a NATO coalition began to
provide support Ior the rebel Iorces in the Iorm oI
airstrikes and a no-Ily zone. NATO's military
intervention over the next six months proved to be
decisive. In April, a NATO attack killed one oI
QaddaIi's sons. When Tripoli Iell to rebel Iorces, it
was seen as a major victory Ior the opposition, and a
symbolic end Ior QaddaIi.
In June, the International Criminal Court issued
warrants Ior the arrest oI QaddaIi, his son SeiI al-
Islam, and his brother-in-law, Ior crimes against
humanity. In July, more than 30 countries
recognized the NTC as the legitimate government oI
Libya. QaddaIi had lost control oI Libya, but his
whereabouts were still unknown.
On Thursday, October 20, Libyan oIIicials
announced the death oI Muammar al-QaddaIi near
his hometown oI Surt. Early reports had conIlicting
accounts oI his death, while some said he was killed
in a gun battle, and others said he was targeted by a
NATO aerial attack. For months, QaddaIi and his
Iamily had been at large, believed to be hiding in
the western part oI the country, where they still had
small pockets oI support. As news oI the Iormer
dictator's death spread, Libyans poured into the
streets, celebrating the many hailed as the
culmination oI their revolution.
II we open the pages oI history, we can Iind the
strong Iriend ship oI Z.A Bhutto and Muammar al-
GaddaIi. ZulIiqar Ali Bhutto and Muammar al-
GaddaIi were both charismatic, ambitious leaders
who raised slogans oI Islamic socialism. Both
viewed themselves as leaders oI the third world and
looked to strengthen third world and Islamic
relations to Iorm a powerIul global alliance. They
would meet again at the much celebrated Islamic
Summit ConIerence oI February 1974 in Lahore, the
biggest and most glorious oI Bhutto`s attempts to
carve a meaningIul alliance.








By the invitation oI Z-A Bhutto when he came to
Pakistan to attend the second Islamic Summit
ConIerence in 1974, he stated, "Pakistan is the Iort
oI Islam." Because oI GaddaIi's support Ior
Pakistan's nuclear deterrence program, he became a
popular Iigure within the country. GaddaIi cricket
stadium in Lahore, the largest in the country, was
named aIter him.
This all were the strong strategy oI Western
countries, GaddaIi is not only the case to ruined his
liIe but many other great leaders like ZulIiqar Ali
Bhutto and many other Islamic world leader has
been loose their liIe oI battle. This was the chapter
oI GaddaIi that has been closed Iorever. Let`s see
and wait the next Islamic country and leaders. Next
step may be the Saudi Arab in the eyes oI Western
countries specially united states oI America.