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In the seemingly endless conflict plaguing Libya, the fragmentation of Islām into various currents continues to play a significant role.
From the Sufi turuq to Salafism, from popular religiosity to the political activism of the Muslim Brotherhood: the civil war broke out following the fall of Gaddafi and still ongoing is not only a struggle for power, territory, and energy resources, but also for the religious control of society.
During the Italian colonization, particularly the Fascist one, traditional Libyan Islām was tolerated, but at the same time it was de facto under the control of the invaders, with campaigns of repression against religious leaders and independence supporters, such as the legendary Islamic hero ʿUmar al-Mukhtār, authentic mujāhid e shahīd, may Allāh swt have mercy on him.
Even after the independence, during the kingdom of Idris I, Islām remained effectively under the control of the Western bloc. With a military coup, Gaddafi abolished the monarchy and established a demagogic and authoritarian “Jamāhīriyyah” that repressed all forms of independent Islamic religious expression. The turuq, Salafi shuyūkhs, and the Muslim Brotherhood were marginalized and persecuted, while Islām was subjugated to the regime’s propaganda.
With the fall of Gaddafi, the heterogeneity of the Libyan Islām resurfaced, but it ended up being exploited by local actors and foreign powers who, one conflict after another, have produced the present situation. The currents are dominated by armed militias and warlords, not to mention the usual “misguided of jihād”, both from al-Qāʿida and the “anti-Islamic state of terror”. This is certainly not an edifying scenario.
Lacking a unified leadership, the various Islamic streams, instead of uniting, have begun to compete with each other in a militarized and violent context, responding to the imperialist and colonialist interests of Turkey and Qatar on the one hand, and Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia on the other, not to mention the inevitable interference in the country’s affairs by Europeans, Russians, and Americans.
Yet, the Libyan society continues to practice a sincere, devout, and non-ideological or politicized Islām. Muslims keep cherishing and protecting the Religion – Subhān Allāh –, despite the guns, pickup trucks, and tanks that are infesting the streets of the main coastal urban centers (Tripoli, Misrata, Benghazi) and the inland villages.
Quranic schools have not ceased to train young ʿulamāʾ, while the vast majority of the population simply desires peace and stability, regardless of doctrinal affiliations.
In this scenario, ending the wars of Aqīda becomes a vital necessity. The Islamic tradition already holds the tools for overcoming internal disputes: the principles of ikhtilāf (legitimate disagreement), shūrā (consultation), and rahma (mercy) are the foundations for constructive intra-Islamic dialogue, aimed at achieving the unity of purpose necessary to bring peace to the country.
Libya’s fate cannot be decided in foreign capitals and by corrupt individuals like Haftar and Abdelhakim Bellaj. To truly give Libya the new “dawn” and the “dignity” it deserves, a sincere pact of reconciliation between the various souls of the local Ummah is needed, grounded on the brotherhood in Islām and a shared sense of belonging to the land entrusted to them by Allāh swt.
May the Lord lead Libyan Muslims in a new battle of liberation from Bellaj, Haftar, and the foreign forces, both Western and otherwise, who continue to occupy and oppress the country, toward a future of justice, prosperity, and lasting peace. Amīn!
Jihād senza Spada 