Network of Free Ulema – Libya
Encyclopedia
The Network of Free Ulema – Libya is a group of senior religious leaders, or ulama
, from all areas of Libya
. Due to the persistent security constraints with families and associates of those opposing Muammar Gaddafi
being taken hostage none of the names of members have been released. However they have been very vocal in the international media throughout the 2011 Libyan civil war
, releasing a constant stream of statements, appeals, calls, endorsements, responses and fatwas.
religious scholars, or ulama
, and each has various specializations and different tribal backgrounds from around Libya
. According to the background of the Network posted on the bottom of a press release the members make up a mixture of high-level figures, including senior judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers, university professors, and intellectuals, as well as Sufi teachers, writers and poets. According to the write up on the network these include a proportion of young people, and both men and women. Individuals are predominantly educated in Libya, however there are apparently also a number of individuals who have also been educated abroad. According to the Network's statements they come from a diverse group of "different schools and outlooks" and they believe "in the richness of plurality, and the wisdom of dialogue and communication with all other faiths and cultures."
The network points to the suppression of civil society activity and the strength of the Gaddafi regime over its people during the four decade long reign of Muammar Gaddafi
. They emphasize however about the Libyan civil society that their network:
As the government
responded to peaceful protests with massive violence the Libyan clerics released their first statement. The statement came from 'religious Scholars (Faqihs and Sufi Sheikhs), intellectuals, and clan elders from Tripoli, Bani Walid, Zintan, Jadu, Msalata, Misrata, Zawiya, and other towns and villages of the western area of our beloved Libya to all of humanity, to all men and women of good will'.,
On 21 February the Network of Free Ulema called for full rebellion
against the Gaddafi regime in Libya. This came after a massive crackdown on peaceful protest by the use of aircraft weaponry, and heavy artillery
. The clerics called immediately for people's action against the regime, stating that is a religious duty
to oppose tyranny and repression. They suggested that the actions of Gaddafi's government renders them 'undeserving of any obedience or support, and makes rebelling against them by all means possible a divinely ordained duty upon every able Muslim
, male or female, to the extent of their capacity.' They also supported Sheikh Sadiq al Ghriani's fatwas against the government. The statement also called for the immediate release of Ghriani.
Addressing an increasing humanitarian crisis
after a number of days of protest and violent reprisals from state security forces the network appealed to heads of state and heads of international organizations for urgent assistance. The Network of Free Ulema, specifically asked the international community
to 'immediately stop the genocide
and crimes against humanity that are...being inflicted upon the Libyan people', and also 'to open up corridors, and borders, for the URGENT supply of medical and humanitarian aid
, including mobile hospitals and hospital ships.'
After the understanding both in Libya and internationally, that mercenaries were being used to carry out acts of violence that Libyan soldiers may not be willing to carry out, such as the shooting of civilians the network launched an appeal to the international community of nations, of faiths, and of the international civil society. They launched an appeal seeking desperate help to stop the supply of mercenaries to Gaddafi into Libya, appealing to neighbour countries not to allow mercenaries to be flown from their nations, and to take both political and/or legal action against the companies in the security and aerospace that are providing services to Gaddafi. They also argued that these organizations or countries that were either directly or in directly involved in the supply of mercenaries that were being used to quell peaceful protest with massive violence would be seen as facilitating crimes against humanity, and could be pursued through the International Criminal Court
.
The popular support of the rebellion
against Gaddafi, and the refusal of Gaddafi to engage constructively with the protesters, and then a violent clampdown on protest, meant that an alternative political process became viable for recognition in Libya. The tone of such an alternative political process was underlined by those leading the revolution that started on 17 February. These were generally democratic in principle. The religious leaders of the Free Ulema network echoed the broader sentiment calling for the 'establishment of a new democratic government that is constitutional and that respects divinely endowed and internationally recognized human rights, the peaceful transition of power, diversity, an elected and clean government, the separation of powers (with checks and balances), that sincerely and faithfully strives to serve the brave men, women, and children of Libya with transparency, piety, and devotion. We call upon all Muslims, male and female, to support this new government and to work hard to protect our sovereign and united Libya and its capital Tripoli
.
After it became clear that the United Nations
Security Council and the international community as a whole were willing to move diplomatically against Muammar Gaddafi
, the clerics made a call for international humanitarian efforts. They explained that thousands had already been killed, mirroring a figure that had been suggested by a number of media sources.
A petition
was also started to support the calls of the clerics on a prominent online petition website.
Because of major popular support for the uprising in Libya an interim government was created in the eastern-Libyan city of Benghazi, which was one of the first cities that experienced upheaval. The Network of Free Ulema immediately supported this entity as an alternative to Gaddafi's waning regime, and released an endorsement and statement of support for the Interim government. Their statement pointed to the mass bloodshed that on religious, humanitarian and moral grounds made Gaddafi's government illegitimate. It went on to support the sequence of Declarations of the Revolution of 17 February 2011, and the announcement of the formation of the newly created Libyan interim government in Benghazi
by the lawyer
Mustafa Abdel Jalil.
The continued use of State television by the Gaddafi regime became a specific issue, once it became obvious that the remaining Gaddafi infrastructure was using the state television broadcasting system to call for mass violence against young protesters who were accused of being par of an Al Qaeda plot, and causing mass violence caused by hallucinogenic tablets. The statement was specifically addressed to the managers of broadcasting services and bandwidth-provision companies, who were said to be complicit in the broadcast of calls for violence. In particular Intelsat, Eutelsat, NileSat, and ArabSat were picked out as the organizations providing satellite capacity for the broadcast of Libyan state television. They appealed for a cessation of all broadcasting ability that was being accorded to a regime that has been accused of committing systematic crimes against humanity.
After their own endorsement of the interim national council on 27 February 2011 the clerics representing the Network of Free Ulema issued a call for all nations and then international organizations to formally recognize Libya’s new interim council and government. They argued that the best way to offer support to the Libyan people was through the recognition of and engagement with the interim leadership.
The Network's website cited a list of cities, towns, regions, and organisations that supported the interim national council and government including Asabi’a, Zuwara, Gharyan, Yafran, Janzur, Nalut, Zawiya, Khoms, 'Aziziya, Qasr Bin Gashir, Zintan, Zelten, Jado, Tamzin, Misrata, Bani Walid, Msalata, Ra's Lanuf, Brak, Ajdabiya, Jalu, Awjila, Kufra, Benghazi, Marj, Bayda, Derna, Tubruk, and Jaghbub. 'Many Divisions of the Libyan Army and Police have also declared their support, and a military coordination council has been successfully formed. Muslim scholars such as the Network of Free Ulema, and Sheikh al-Sadiq al-Ghriani have also firmly endorsed the interim national council and government. Our youth who started this remarkable transformation, through such youth networks as the Libyan Youth Movement, also support this interim council and government.'
The first week of March saw increasing diplomatic pressure against Gaddafi's government, and a number of overtures by the international community
towads the Interim Transitional National Council, including a press statement by the French government which stopped just short of full recognition of the Benghazi
based entity. The first Arab
overtures to the National Council came from the international cooperation organization of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf
. The Foreign Minister
of the United Arab Emirates
, H.E. Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said in a foreign ministers' meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, held in Abu Dhabi
on 7 March "we call on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to face their responsibilities in helping the dear people of Libya." He went on to put forward one of the strongest calls yet for action, saying that the "massacres committed by the regime against their own citizens are crimes against humanity that require condemnation". The Gulf Cooperation Council ministers were united in their condemnation of the use of weapons against civilians and appealed to both the United Nations
and the Arab League
to safeguard the Libyan people.
On International Women's Day 2011 the Network of Free Ulema – Libya released a statement speaking about the contribution of women to the fight against Gaddafi, and the central role of women to the construction of a 'free Libya'. They also expressed support for this year's theme, of 'equal access to education'.
After a series of brutal attacks, detentions, and one instance of a journalist
being killed by Gaddafi's forces the Network released a statement to put their full weight behind the free media, and against the propaganda machinery of Gaddafi supported TV. The campaign of intimidation against free journalists and the jamming of respectable and open international media is a key aspect of Gaddafi's reasserted hold over the Libyan population, who can increasingly only watch stage-managed pro-Gaddafi media content. The reports on Gaddafi supported news media bear scant resemblance to the facts that are reported either by witnesses or by the international media as a whole.
Shortly after it became known to the public the Network released a statement in regard to the peace negotiation proposal from Hugo Chavez
to Gaddafi and his regime. The network argued that the alleged crimes against humanity that were committed by Gaddafi and his associates against the broader Libyan population rendered them illegitimate, and that the interim council with broad-based support from a majority of the populace was the legitimate conduit by through with to approach Libya with regarding international action.
nodes, young people speaking to international media, and prominent critics of Gaddafi's circle were being kidnapped and allegedly tortured, the Network of Free Ulema released a public comment. Some sources also suggested that family members of individuals have been taken hostage
and used as leverage. The comment read:
voice or authority for Libya rather than as an entity with explicit political power
. This sets them up in contrast to the politically entrenched position of the Iranian clergy, but also in contrast to the political apologia or apathy
of many other national Muslim leaders.
. They see themselves as holders of moral authority suggesting that their "only agenda is that of upholding the highest religious, spiritual, moral, and human values, and the service of our beloved Libya."
The Network have in a number of different places asserted that idea that Libya should have a liberal and democratic political structure with inspiration and advice derived from religious leaders, seeing an integrated place for religion in public life, contrary for example to the secularism
that exists in France
. See this excerpt from interview with a member:
or Iraq
, the Network has stressed that any activity from foreign militaries must go through the interim country, so that it doesn't 'violate Libyan sovereignty': See excerpt from interview with media:
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
, from all areas of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. Due to the persistent security constraints with families and associates of those opposing Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
being taken hostage none of the names of members have been released. However they have been very vocal in the international media throughout the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
, releasing a constant stream of statements, appeals, calls, endorsements, responses and fatwas.
Members of the Network
The members of the network are senior MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
religious scholars, or ulama
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
, and each has various specializations and different tribal backgrounds from around Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. According to the background of the Network posted on the bottom of a press release the members make up a mixture of high-level figures, including senior judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers, university professors, and intellectuals, as well as Sufi teachers, writers and poets. According to the write up on the network these include a proportion of young people, and both men and women. Individuals are predominantly educated in Libya, however there are apparently also a number of individuals who have also been educated abroad. According to the Network's statements they come from a diverse group of "different schools and outlooks" and they believe "in the richness of plurality, and the wisdom of dialogue and communication with all other faiths and cultures."
The network points to the suppression of civil society activity and the strength of the Gaddafi regime over its people during the four decade long reign of Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. They emphasize however about the Libyan civil society that their network:
Press Releases
A number of press releases have been released in reaction to the civil war against the former Gaddafi regime.- Saturday 19 February 2011 - STOP THE MASS KILLINGS OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS IN LIBYA
As the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
responded to peaceful protests with massive violence the Libyan clerics released their first statement. The statement came from 'religious Scholars (Faqihs and Sufi Sheikhs), intellectuals, and clan elders from Tripoli, Bani Walid, Zintan, Jadu, Msalata, Misrata, Zawiya, and other towns and villages of the western area of our beloved Libya to all of humanity, to all men and women of good will'.,
- Monday 21 February 2011 - CALL FOR FULL REBELLION IN LIBYA,
On 21 February the Network of Free Ulema called for full rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against the Gaddafi regime in Libya. This came after a massive crackdown on peaceful protest by the use of aircraft weaponry, and heavy artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. The clerics called immediately for people's action against the regime, stating that is a religious duty
Duty
Duty is a term that conveys a sense of moral commitment to someone or something. The moral commitment is the sort that results in action and it is not a matter of passive feeling or mere recognition...
to oppose tyranny and repression. They suggested that the actions of Gaddafi's government renders them 'undeserving of any obedience or support, and makes rebelling against them by all means possible a divinely ordained duty upon every able Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, male or female, to the extent of their capacity.' They also supported Sheikh Sadiq al Ghriani's fatwas against the government. The statement also called for the immediate release of Ghriani.
- Tuesday 22 February 2011 - URGENT APPEAL FOR HELP
Addressing an increasing humanitarian crisis
Humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis is an event or series of events which represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area...
after a number of days of protest and violent reprisals from state security forces the network appealed to heads of state and heads of international organizations for urgent assistance. The Network of Free Ulema, specifically asked the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
to 'immediately stop the genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and crimes against humanity that are...being inflicted upon the Libyan people', and also 'to open up corridors, and borders, for the URGENT supply of medical and humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
, including mobile hospitals and hospital ships.'
- Tuesday 22 February 2011 - URGENT APPEAL TO HELP IN STOPPING MERCENARIES
After the understanding both in Libya and internationally, that mercenaries were being used to carry out acts of violence that Libyan soldiers may not be willing to carry out, such as the shooting of civilians the network launched an appeal to the international community of nations, of faiths, and of the international civil society. They launched an appeal seeking desperate help to stop the supply of mercenaries to Gaddafi into Libya, appealing to neighbour countries not to allow mercenaries to be flown from their nations, and to take both political and/or legal action against the companies in the security and aerospace that are providing services to Gaddafi. They also argued that these organizations or countries that were either directly or in directly involved in the supply of mercenaries that were being used to quell peaceful protest with massive violence would be seen as facilitating crimes against humanity, and could be pursued through the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
.
- Wednesday 23 February 2011 - ENDORSEMENT AND SUPPORT OF THE DECLARATIONS OF THE REVOLUTION OF 17 FEBRUARY 2011
The popular support of the rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against Gaddafi, and the refusal of Gaddafi to engage constructively with the protesters, and then a violent clampdown on protest, meant that an alternative political process became viable for recognition in Libya. The tone of such an alternative political process was underlined by those leading the revolution that started on 17 February. These were generally democratic in principle. The religious leaders of the Free Ulema network echoed the broader sentiment calling for the 'establishment of a new democratic government that is constitutional and that respects divinely endowed and internationally recognized human rights, the peaceful transition of power, diversity, an elected and clean government, the separation of powers (with checks and balances), that sincerely and faithfully strives to serve the brave men, women, and children of Libya with transparency, piety, and devotion. We call upon all Muslims, male and female, to support this new government and to work hard to protect our sovereign and united Libya and its capital Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
.
- Saturday 26 February 2011 - CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION
After it became clear that the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council and the international community as a whole were willing to move diplomatically against Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, the clerics made a call for international humanitarian efforts. They explained that thousands had already been killed, mirroring a figure that had been suggested by a number of media sources.
A petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
was also started to support the calls of the clerics on a prominent online petition website.
- Sunday 27 February 2011 - ENDORSEMENT AND SUPPORT OF THE NEW INTERIM GOVERNMENT
Because of major popular support for the uprising in Libya an interim government was created in the eastern-Libyan city of Benghazi, which was one of the first cities that experienced upheaval. The Network of Free Ulema immediately supported this entity as an alternative to Gaddafi's waning regime, and released an endorsement and statement of support for the Interim government. Their statement pointed to the mass bloodshed that on religious, humanitarian and moral grounds made Gaddafi's government illegitimate. It went on to support the sequence of Declarations of the Revolution of 17 February 2011, and the announcement of the formation of the newly created Libyan interim government in Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
by the lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Mustafa Abdel Jalil.
- Tuesday 1 March February 2011 - STOP KILLER BROADCASTING
The continued use of State television by the Gaddafi regime became a specific issue, once it became obvious that the remaining Gaddafi infrastructure was using the state television broadcasting system to call for mass violence against young protesters who were accused of being par of an Al Qaeda plot, and causing mass violence caused by hallucinogenic tablets. The statement was specifically addressed to the managers of broadcasting services and bandwidth-provision companies, who were said to be complicit in the broadcast of calls for violence. In particular Intelsat, Eutelsat, NileSat, and ArabSat were picked out as the organizations providing satellite capacity for the broadcast of Libyan state television. They appealed for a cessation of all broadcasting ability that was being accorded to a regime that has been accused of committing systematic crimes against humanity.
- Wednesday 2 March 2011 - CALL FOR WORLD RECOGNITION OF LIBYA’S NEW INTERIM NATIONAL COUNCIL AND GOVERNMENT
After their own endorsement of the interim national council on 27 February 2011 the clerics representing the Network of Free Ulema issued a call for all nations and then international organizations to formally recognize Libya’s new interim council and government. They argued that the best way to offer support to the Libyan people was through the recognition of and engagement with the interim leadership.
The Network's website cited a list of cities, towns, regions, and organisations that supported the interim national council and government including Asabi’a, Zuwara, Gharyan, Yafran, Janzur, Nalut, Zawiya, Khoms, 'Aziziya, Qasr Bin Gashir, Zintan, Zelten, Jado, Tamzin, Misrata, Bani Walid, Msalata, Ra's Lanuf, Brak, Ajdabiya, Jalu, Awjila, Kufra, Benghazi, Marj, Bayda, Derna, Tubruk, and Jaghbub. 'Many Divisions of the Libyan Army and Police have also declared their support, and a military coordination council has been successfully formed. Muslim scholars such as the Network of Free Ulema, and Sheikh al-Sadiq al-Ghriani have also firmly endorsed the interim national council and government. Our youth who started this remarkable transformation, through such youth networks as the Libyan Youth Movement, also support this interim council and government.'
- Tuesday 8 March 2011 - A NOTE OF THANKS TO THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL
The first week of March saw increasing diplomatic pressure against Gaddafi's government, and a number of overtures by the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
towads the Interim Transitional National Council, including a press statement by the French government which stopped just short of full recognition of the Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
based entity. The first Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
overtures to the National Council came from the international cooperation organization of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....
. The Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, H.E. Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said in a foreign ministers' meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, held in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
on 7 March "we call on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to face their responsibilities in helping the dear people of Libya." He went on to put forward one of the strongest calls yet for action, saying that the "massacres committed by the regime against their own citizens are crimes against humanity that require condemnation". The Gulf Cooperation Council ministers were united in their condemnation of the use of weapons against civilians and appealed to both the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
to safeguard the Libyan people.
- Tuesday 8 March 2011 - TO THE BRAVE WOMEN OF LIBYA
On International Women's Day 2011 the Network of Free Ulema – Libya released a statement speaking about the contribution of women to the fight against Gaddafi, and the central role of women to the construction of a 'free Libya'. They also expressed support for this year's theme, of 'equal access to education'.
- Tuesday 15 March 2011 - PROTECTING JOURNALISTS
After a series of brutal attacks, detentions, and one instance of a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
being killed by Gaddafi's forces the Network released a statement to put their full weight behind the free media, and against the propaganda machinery of Gaddafi supported TV. The campaign of intimidation against free journalists and the jamming of respectable and open international media is a key aspect of Gaddafi's reasserted hold over the Libyan population, who can increasingly only watch stage-managed pro-Gaddafi media content. The reports on Gaddafi supported news media bear scant resemblance to the facts that are reported either by witnesses or by the international media as a whole.
Statements
- Thursday 3 March 2011 - RESPONSE TO THE CHAVEZ INITIATIVE
Shortly after it became known to the public the Network released a statement in regard to the peace negotiation proposal from Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
to Gaddafi and his regime. The network argued that the alleged crimes against humanity that were committed by Gaddafi and his associates against the broader Libyan population rendered them illegitimate, and that the interim council with broad-based support from a majority of the populace was the legitimate conduit by through with to approach Libya with regarding international action.
Public Comments
On 3 March 2011 during a campaign of intimidation, prior to an expected demonstration after Friday Prayer on 4 March, where social mediaSocial media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
nodes, young people speaking to international media, and prominent critics of Gaddafi's circle were being kidnapped and allegedly tortured, the Network of Free Ulema released a public comment. Some sources also suggested that family members of individuals have been taken hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
and used as leverage. The comment read:
Views on the Future Libyan Government
The statements and interviews of the Network of the Free Ulema reference a number of issues that paint a picture of their desires for a post-Gaddafi Libyan nation. Through these they seem to position themselves a moralMoral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
voice or authority for Libya rather than as an entity with explicit political power
Political power
Political power is a type of power held by a group in a society which allows administration of some or all of public resources, including labour, and wealth. There are many ways to obtain possession of such power. At the nation-state level political legitimacy for political power is held by the...
. This sets them up in contrast to the politically entrenched position of the Iranian clergy, but also in contrast to the political apologia or apathy
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
of many other national Muslim leaders.
Role of Religion in Politics
The Network underlines a separation of religious authority and political authority. In all statements that have been released the group has emphasized that they are not a political partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. They see themselves as holders of moral authority suggesting that their "only agenda is that of upholding the highest religious, spiritual, moral, and human values, and the service of our beloved Libya."
The Network have in a number of different places asserted that idea that Libya should have a liberal and democratic political structure with inspiration and advice derived from religious leaders, seeing an integrated place for religion in public life, contrary for example to the secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
that exists in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. See this excerpt from interview with a member:
Sovereignty and Transition
The Network speaks about the need for a solution to the Libyan crisis that does not require foreign intervention. Probably from fears of becoming another AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
or Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, the Network has stressed that any activity from foreign militaries must go through the interim country, so that it doesn't 'violate Libyan sovereignty': See excerpt from interview with media: