These armed men think, act and make demands on the basis that they are revolutionaries, yet there is no longer a revolution to be fought. Once the heroes of the story, they have now become the villains.
People took to the streets of Tripoli and Benghazi on Wednesday night holding banners with messages such as ‘Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans’ and ‘Sorry people of America. This is not the behaviour of Islam or our prophet’.
In Libya learning is by rote and independent thinking, problem solving and analytical approaches are nonexistent.
This is a momentous occasion in Libyan history, yet read about Libya in the international media and you might find this hard to believe. Reports paint a picture of a country on the edge of the abyss, the new Iraq or Afghanistan.
It is testimony to Libya’s determination to make their revolution count that the elections went as smoothly as they did.
Many Libyans are at a loss to know how to choose between different candidates based on photos and slogans alone, and are frustrated by the whole campaigning process.
While Libyans are quietly proving that they can forgive, forget and move forward together, the current political and military powers in Libya seem intent on proving the opposite to the rest of the world.
If voters are unable to make an informed decision, due to lack of information concerning the candidate, the process or the role those elected will play, then they will either not vote, or vote but without feeling responsible or accountable for the vote they cast.
For these young Libyans, to register and participate in the elections means acknowledging that their voices are no more important than anyone else’s.
