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بسم
الله الرحمن الرحيم
Part (3)
(First published in Arabic on
1st July 2006)
[2] Announcing the Establishment of the
Libyan Constitutional Union
Introduction…..
It is
important that readers know that during all of my contacts with the
leading personalities of the various Libyan opposition movement, in
exile to publicise the establishment of The Libyan Constitutional
Union and to acquaint them with it,
that at no time did I ever criticise nor attack any of these
individuals. Even when some directed their attacks to me personally,
and spread doubts and suspicion over the reasons, goals and motives
of my clear campaign.
I
restrained my self, from getting engaged in exchanges (verbal or
written), with those who did not follow the etiquette of
constructive criticism and went along a path of hostility and
arrogance that drove them to consider me as their enemy which I was
not. I approached them in the spirit of peace and affability for
the purpose of unifying the ranks under one umbrella forming an
entity that was capable of realising the aim of helping our country
and saving it from the corrupt regime.
Even when
I was forced to take a stand against those who overstepped the
boundary of professional courtesy in their personal attacks against
me and my family, I always confined my responses within decency,
good manners and to the point.
As
I have repeatedly said, my purpose of writing this article is to
record and document important events and stances in our contemporary
history, however, at the same time I affirm that I have been very
careful to write this article and publish it when most of the
people, who participated in these events, are still alive.
This
insures accuracy and truth in recording and documenting the
information. It also requires me to give ample opportunity to those
concerned to respond to the information presented in this article
with respect to their referred stances and allows them to affirm,
refute or add to them.
In
return, I hope that those people who desire to reply or comment on
this article, be bound by the principles of moral responsibility in
their stating of the mere facts without fabrication or distortion.
I
also hope that these people have the moral courage to write under
their real names and not to resort to hiding behind
pseudonyms
making it on the one hand hard to hold them accountable for the
falsehoods they propagate and on the other hand this use of
pseudonyms impairs the chance for everybody to enrich serious and
responsible discussions and dialogues about important events in our
country’s recent history.
*
*
*
*
*
Announcement of the Establishment of the LCU:
The
publicity campaign for the establishment of the Libyan
Constitutional Union started with a greeting card on the auspicious
occasion of the Greater Bairam (Eid Aladha) as it coincided with 7th
October (1981), the thirtieth anniversary of the proclamation of the
Libyan Constitution. It contained the statement announcing the
establishment of the L C U[1],
its motives and aims. It was widely
distributed among the Libyan citizens inside and outside
Libya. The number of these letters reached thousands, for we managed
to obtain lists of names and addresses of a large number of Libyans
residing in Egypt whose numbers then could be counted in thousands.
We
also obtained lists of names and addresses of large numbers of
Libyan students in the United Kingdom and in the United States of
America
[2].
Furthermore, we sent thousands of letters containing the relevant
information to the mail boxes in various Libyan Cities addressed to
fictitious names. These would reach the owners of the mail boxes
without jeopardising the safety of the mail box owners, who could
easily dissociate themselves from these letters, should the
oppressive authorities discover them, as those letters were
addressed to unknown names unconnected to them.
It came to our knowledge through some people from inside the country
that the mailing of these letters had achieved the desired success
to a large extent.
*
*
*
*
*
This was
on the general level, we also endeavoured to contact directly all
the active Libyan opposition groups (some of their members were
already known to us personally), as well as many Libyan notables to
inform them about the newly established Libyan Constitutional Union
through letters containing a thorough explanation of the principles
and aims upon which the Libyan Constitutional Union was established.
We also
made personal contacts through telephone calls, mail and meetings
with the personalities that we had known previously, to inform them
about the matter under consideration and to explain to them fully
the essential nature of the Libyan Constitutional Union and its
planned aims. This was aided by issuing three carefully prepared
booklets, which were sent to the relevant parties in three
instalments in the period between 7 October 1981 and the end of
December 1981.
[3]
In tandem with sending these letters and booklets, there was media
coverage regarding the establishment of the Libyan Constitutional
Union as soon as it was announced.
*
*
*
*
*
Reactions…….
Contrary
to our expectations not many among the dozens of individuals whom we
had contacted personally to inform them about the establishment of
the Libyan Constitutional Union, bothered to respond or to reply.
However, the reactions of those who showed a degree of interest were
diverse.
The
replies were divided according to the level of intellect and
background of the individual concerned. Some of these people who
replied had a high level of moral sensitivity and a sense of
patriotic responsibility, in addition to a degree of intelligence
and heedfulness in grasping the concept advanced by the Libyan
Constitutional Union and the ability to see its ramification on the
future of the national cause.
At
the same time, other reactions had elements of chauvinism and the
preference of personal and political interests at the expense of the
national cause.
Others still, were motivated and driven by tribalism without any
consideration to the interests of the homeland and its essential
causes.
In what follows, I will talk about the various reactions which were
typified by some opposition personalities in exile. These
personalities were contacted and met by the Libyan Constitutional
Union in the period of its establishment and after that.
This
was for the purpose of the unification of all the Libyan opposition
under one umbrella with a program containing the assertion of the
legal legitimacy which would facilitate the struggle against the
ruling military regime through international legal legitimacy and
accord the Libyan cause through effective means capable of toppling
the corrupt regime.
*
*
*
*
*
Omar El-Shelhi
As I
mentioned previously in part 2, my relationship with Mr. Omar El-Shelhi
had grown cold and uneasy. However, our subsequent frequent
meetings at the King’s residence during my regular visits to the
King which I endeavoured to maintain throughout his life, had a
positive effect on this relationship and softened Mr. Shelhi’s
unfriendliness towards me. For, with time and as he followed the
LCU’s publications, and knew me more through these visits, he became
more convinced of my true intentions, and satisfied himself that I
was not an adventurer who would abuse the king’s reputation or an
intruder with an ill agenda. He saw that my coming close to the
King was motivated by loyalty and pure love of the King, coupled
with a genuine desire to benefit the national interest.
With
time, some sort of familiarity had formed between Omar El-Shelhi and
my self, which before long developed to a strong friendship. We
exchanged visits and frequent phone calls. However, this friendship
did not go beyond personal amity, and never involved any sort of
political alliance or co-operation.
During
this closeness to Mr. El-Shelhi, I discovered two
distinctive marks of
his
character. The first was that he has a deep and unrivalled sense of
patriotism towards the home land. The second and more vivid was his
unlimited loyalty and devotion to King Idris.
The second
characteristic, which was clear to every body that had to deal with
him in this regard, had turned to an overwhelming possessiveness of
the King. It developed in him a level of blind jealousy that pulled
him out of the realm of courtesy when he sensed that anybody was
getting too close to the King or rivalling him to the King’s favour.
For
this particular reason, I dealt with him in this area with diplomacy
and extreme tact , and made sure that I would not provoke this
vulnerability.
As such,
there was nothing in the horizon that would muddy this relationship,
until my publication in 1989 of the book “The Life and Times of King
Idris of Libya”
[4]
which was written by Mr. Eric de Candole. That provoked Mr. El-Shelhi’s
enormous outrage and from then till this day he unjustifiably took
me for a bitter enemy
Details of
this episode have no bearing on the subject at hand. I will,
therefore refrain from expanding.
What is
important in this context is the fact that all that friendship and
good feelings that grew between Mr. Shelhi and myself was abruptly
ended by that event, and have turned to hostility that remains till
this day.
*
*
*
*
*
Mohammad Othman Essaid…
As I mentioned above some of the contacted opposition personalities
were characterised by a certain degree of a sense of patriotic
responsibility and a level of intelligence combined with heedfulness
in grasping the concept advanced by the Libyan Constitutional Union
and had the ability to see its ramifications on the future of Libyan
cause. Mr Mohammad Othman Essaid was one of these people.
I had had
no previous acquaintance with Mr Essaid
who was among the first who replied to the Libyan Constitutional
Union contacts by a telephone call from
Morocco where he is a permanent resident. In this telephone call he
expressed his utmost admiration for the idea and the orientation as
formulated by the Libyan Constitutional Union in the letter
containing the above mentioned three booklets.
He
confided in me, in a state of excitement and esteem for the idea of
establishing the Libyan Constitutional Union after reading its
letter, that he had wished that one of his sons had come up with
this enlightening idea.
My
friendship and knowledge of Mr Essaid grew
stronger in meetings repeated with the passage of time and in which
he frequently expressed his support of the orientation of the Libyan
Constitutional Union and its hoped for aims. However, due to his
position as a political refugee it was difficult for him to
participate in any political activity in this regard.
*
*
*
*
*
Abdulhameed El-Bakoosh.
I did not
know Mr
Abdulhameed El-Bakoosh
closely before the establishment of the Libyan Constitutional Union;
however, my relationship with him was deepened to a good degree
after exchanging contacts between us which was crowned later on with
personal meetings in the two cities of Manchester and Cairo.
[5]
Mr Bakoosh was among the first who took care to reply to the
contacts concerning the announcement of the establishment of the
Libyan Constitutional Union. And his reply in this regard was not
only confined to the telephone and written correspondence but also a
personal meeting at my home in the city of Manchester.
Mr
Bakoosh made a telephone call to me in
July 1982 during the holy month of Ramadan. He informed me in this
phone call that he had received my letters dealing with the
establishment of the Libyan Constitutional Union and that he was in
London and would travel to Manchester to meet me and talk to me
about the subject matter under consideration.
To be continued....
Mohamed Ben Ghalbon
4th
August 2006
chairman@libyanconstitutionalunion.net
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[1]
The Eid (greeting) Card which had been sent to the majority of the
Libyan personalities, contained in one of its two pages the
announcement of the Establishment of the Libyan Constitutional Union
and in the other a photo of King Idris. This photo has a story
which is related elsewhere in this article. Appendix No.1)
[2]
We managed to obtain a copy of lists of addresses of students
studying in Britain and America which belonged to the General Union
of Libyan students (UK branch). My brother, Hisham, was one of its
founder members.
[3]
These booklets were prepared and sent in three consecutive
significant anniversaries of modern Libya. The first one 7 October
1981 which commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of the
announcement of the Libyan Constitution and coincided with the
occasion of the
Greater Bairam (Eid Aladha)
of that year, the second on 21 November of the same year coincided
with the date of the UN resolution that granted Libya its
independence, and the third on 24 December of that year coincided
with the thirtieth anniversary of the independence of Libya.
The reader can examine these booklets which are published/posted in
the Libyan Constitutional Union archive web site whose link is
http://www.lcu-libya.co.uk/aims.htm
[4]
: “The Life and Times of King Idris of Libya”, first published by
the author Mr. E.A.V. de Candole in a private edition of 250 copies
in 1988 as a tribute to his friend King Idris I. The author was
forced to publish it privately in this small number after his
attempts to get a publisher for this book have failed.
Having secured permission from the author, I passed it to my friend
Mr. Mohamed El-Gazieri who translated it to Arabic. I then
published it in 1989 and distributed it free of charge to friends,
researchers and those who have an interest in Libya. I also
provided complimentary copies to numerous public libraries and
University libraries in the Arab and Islamic world, as well as
Europe and the USA. The purpose of this action was to honour
Libya’s great late King Idris El-Senussi by providing researchers
world wide with a credible account of his life compiled by a
credible and close contemporary to the late king. The book
contained important details, which we felt should become a source of
information for writers and historians.
In May 1990 I republished it both in Arabic and English and
distributed it freely on a wider scale in the same manner. The
costs of publication and distribution of the second edition were
shared equally with me by two Libyan patriots who asked for their
identities not to be revealed for fear of persecution from the
Libyan despotic regime.
[5]
The first letter was sent to Mr Abdulhameed El-Bakoosh on 24
February 1982, to inform him about the program and the aims of the
Libyan Constitutional Union. ( A photocopy and translation of this
letter is attached underneath.)
Appendix No.1)
In the name of God, the
Merciful, the Compassionate.
The Libyan
Constitutional Union hereby proclaims its institution in deference
to the aspirations of the Libyan people and the exigencies of
seeking to restore constitutional legitimacy to the nation and to
re-establish the rule of law and order.
The Union
reiterates the pledge of allegience to King Muhammad Idris al-Mahdi
Sanusi as historical leader of the Libyan people's struggle for
independence and national
unity and as a
symbol of legality for the nation.
It calls upon
all Libyans to rally around their monarch and under his banner to
put an end to the illegitimate regime now existing in Libya and to
eliminate all the consequences that have accrued from its usurpation
of power since September 1st 1969.
The Libyan
Constitutional Union emphasizes the right of the Libyan people to
restore justice and thereafter to decide such form of body politic
and system of government as they may choose of their own free will
in a referendum to be conducted under international supervision
within a reasonable period from the restoration of constitutional
legality to the nation.
A translation of a letter sent to Mr Abdulhameed El-Bakoosh:
The honourable Mr Abdulhameed El-Bakoosh
Greetings!
It has taken me a long time to obtain your address and that is the
reason of not writing to you until now. I hope that you have
received the Libyan Constitutional Union Booklets which explain its
political idea and what we strive to achieve and stand for.
I and all members of the Libyan Constitutional Union would be
pleased if there is a possibility of fruitful cooperation with you
to serve the homeland in the shadow of the only symbol of the Libyan
sovereignty which was short in duration and unique in the entire
history of Libya. Furthermore, you were one of the brilliant pages
of this period.
All the members of the Libyan Constitutional Union consider
co-operating with you a great honour and an important
consolidation
of the national cause and they remember with pride and appreciation
your idea of the
"Libyan Personality"
which time has proven how much the people were in need of and they
wish for the return to the homeland its happy days so that it can
make use of the efforts and ideas of the sincere people like you.
While waiting for your response, estimable sir, please accept the
highest respect and appreciation of the entire members of the Libyan
Constitutional Union
Sincerely,
Mohamed Ben Ghalbon
4/2/1982
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