Ibn_Khaldoen
13-02-2006, 21:55
http://www.agraw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=20
2006/2/12 22:46:14
This report is released to the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council sub-commission in order to present an important missing part of Human Rights violation issues and clarify the valuable aspiration of Imazighen (Berber) people of Libya. The human rights status of the Tamazight Speaking in Libya was submitted by The Libyan Working Group to the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights-Geneva in May 2005.
Libya:
In the heart of North Africa, Libya is a well-known name in history and geography; Herodotus, the great historian, called Africa “Libya” during his time.
The name “Libya” goes back to the Libico tribes “Libo” who are Libyan Amazigh tribes originally inhabited the North African regionand in which the majority of the Libyan society is originated from. Moreover, the Tamazight language is still used in North Africa and the great Sahara desert.
Historically, Libyans have interacted with African and Mediterranean civilizations. These long interactions have varied and fluctuated from one era to another. Libyans ruled Egypt during the era of the 22-23 pharaohs’ family and the Phoenician civilization was raised in Libya’s shoreline. It was also occupied by the Romans, Vandals, and the Bizantine. More than 1400 years ago, Arabs invaded Libya under the banner of preaching to the Islamic religion and under the same banner Turks occupied it later on. The “modern” Romans “Italians” repeated history and occupied it in the recent history back in 1911 and they were pushed out in the aftermath of the WWII.
Libya gained its independence in 1956 with uniting the three provinces Tripoli, Barqa, and Fezan under the Sonousi monarchy which was named the Kingdom of Libya; a bordered country that is well known in today’s modern political map. Not so long, a military coup toppled the Sonousi Monarchy and took power in 1969. That coup turned Libya’s remains of its historical civilization up side down, neither a kingdom not a republican nor emirates; and not under any system that is adopted internationally. No constitution, neither a government nor a legitimate ruler; nothing but a dictatorship that is ruling it since September 1969.
The distribution of the population is somehow sparse compared to its total geographical area. Libya with over than 2.6 million square kilometers is inhabited by more than 5 million people. This is an approximate figure since no officially trusted figures are available.
The vast majority of population is distributed largely at the coastal areas of the nation and this distribution gradually decreases towards the areas under the coast line followed by the south desert where the population is dispersed over a larger geographical area.
Despite the economical wealth of Libya, especially in the oil and gas industry and the other natural resources with a very low population density, the economical situation of an average Libyan citizen is still hurtful. The average standard of living; the condition of the infrastructure in Libya is terribly at low levels, the education, health care, and the general services are dreadful. Furthermore, the degree of advancement in the institutions and civil services are very slow and in most parts ineffective; this is because of the regime backwardness and the high level of state bureaucracy and dictatorship. As a result, a considerable percentage of illiteracy in the Libyan society still exists and the educational level is also limited; political activities are forbidden and the current regime uses all kinds of oppression and fear against all basic human rights and freedoms.
Throughout history and because of the historical association of Libyans with other civilizations and with the dynamics of historical events, Libyans believed in many religions and adopted many faiths such as Judaism, Christianity under different sects including Islam in which today Islam represents the official state religion and the fate of the vast majority of Libyans. Under this religious umbrella of Islam, and because of the political, ideological, and the religious Arabism control, in what so called Arab nationalism, Libya officially belongs to what’s called the “Arab world” that actually represent an enormous geographical area with different cultures, ethnicities, and languages; yet its forcefully called the Arab world and identify these societies, with different cultures and languages, as an Arab. This was also represented politically in what so called “the Arab league organization” with all its branches and different organizational unites.
Today, the only ideologies that are strongly emphasized and heavily advertised in the political and the cultural arena are Islamo-Arabism and the ideology of Arab Nationalism which marginalizes, oppresses and suppresses any others who are different. These situations lead to the change in the identity, cultural and linguistic elements of the majority of Libyans which in turn was one of the reasons why most Libyans lost their sense of national belongings and their affiliation to their nation. They also lost the feeling of being part of their land and culture and the ability in holding on to their language; even their regional and international relationships were somehow being affected. These conditions gradually led most Libyans to distance themselves from their true identity and cause them to let go their sense of being affiliated to their land and leave behind their mother tongue. In view of that, the spread of Arab Nationalism and the Islamo-Arabism ideologies amongst many Libyans created an atmosphere such that, they relate and interact amongst themselves and with others only from these narrow, racial and religious points of views which resulted in vanishing all past collection of being connected with other civilizations and their lose of being able to amenable and accept other different cultures, religions, and languages. These conditions had also led most Libyans to adopt only Arab language and believe only in Islam by being repressively rejecting any citizen who does not speak Arabic or believe in its ideologies as well as who does not profess Islam or any of its sects.
Under these oppressive conditions, the “Tamazight speaking” Libyan society, who are attempting to defend and protect their original Libyan identity, culture and language, had become a linguistic minority that is marginalized, targeted, and oppressed by the political agencies of the current regime and its security apparatus as well as from some of the political and human rights groups of the opposition who claims to be the political opponent of the current regime outside Libya.
In this regard, as we are classifying the Tamazight speaking population of Libya as a “linguistic Minority”, we meant it and we understand what this means very well. Any outside observer to the daily life of Libyans will see no differences between the vast majority (if not all) Libyans in their distinctive culture, and unique social customs and traditions even in much of its details: their countenance and appearances, their names and surnames, names of their geographical areas and places, towns, villages and landmarks, their customs and traditions, their heritage and public literature and style, their art and music, their rituals and believes, their costumes and cuisine. The only difference being exist is between the “Arabized” majority of Libyans who are allied with the extreme Islamo-Arabism and the Arab nationalism ideologies, and the minority of Libyans who are still maintaining their Tamazight spoken language whom their existence being targeted along with their language and all what includes in that culture and language from history to civilizations and traditions.
Tamazight Language:
Tamazight Language is the Libyan language that is still used in North Africa since the dawn of history. Its alphabet is called “Tifi-nagh” in old Libyan or “Libico” language according to many historical references. The Tamazight language had existed historically with most ancient languages that is been used by humankind, it had been influenced by these languages and vise versa; such languages are Greek, Phoenicians, and the hieroglyphic language and many others. The Tamazight language and its scripts is fortuitously preserved and still used today, mainly by women of Touarq Amazigh population in the south of Libya.
Most of the ancient languages, stated above, were vanished or being reserved inside museums or ancient landmarks except our Tamazight language, with its different dialects. This language is still remains alive and widely spoken in many areas of North Africa, a unique challenge that had to put up with throughout its historical existence, age, and many other effects. This is what we consider a cultural and linguistic phenomenon that we need to stop at, in order to address it for further analysis and studies. We could safely conclude that Tamazight language is one of the ancient languages that is still spoken and written amongst Imazighen therefore, it is considered a valuable and unique cultural and human inheritance. It is the duty of the international community and all the concerned international institutions to protect this valuable language and culture, stop all kinds of oppression and negligence that is imposed against this language and its speakers, and assist by all means to its recognition, protection, and development.
2006/2/12 22:46:14
This report is released to the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council sub-commission in order to present an important missing part of Human Rights violation issues and clarify the valuable aspiration of Imazighen (Berber) people of Libya. The human rights status of the Tamazight Speaking in Libya was submitted by The Libyan Working Group to the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights-Geneva in May 2005.
Libya:
In the heart of North Africa, Libya is a well-known name in history and geography; Herodotus, the great historian, called Africa “Libya” during his time.
The name “Libya” goes back to the Libico tribes “Libo” who are Libyan Amazigh tribes originally inhabited the North African regionand in which the majority of the Libyan society is originated from. Moreover, the Tamazight language is still used in North Africa and the great Sahara desert.
Historically, Libyans have interacted with African and Mediterranean civilizations. These long interactions have varied and fluctuated from one era to another. Libyans ruled Egypt during the era of the 22-23 pharaohs’ family and the Phoenician civilization was raised in Libya’s shoreline. It was also occupied by the Romans, Vandals, and the Bizantine. More than 1400 years ago, Arabs invaded Libya under the banner of preaching to the Islamic religion and under the same banner Turks occupied it later on. The “modern” Romans “Italians” repeated history and occupied it in the recent history back in 1911 and they were pushed out in the aftermath of the WWII.
Libya gained its independence in 1956 with uniting the three provinces Tripoli, Barqa, and Fezan under the Sonousi monarchy which was named the Kingdom of Libya; a bordered country that is well known in today’s modern political map. Not so long, a military coup toppled the Sonousi Monarchy and took power in 1969. That coup turned Libya’s remains of its historical civilization up side down, neither a kingdom not a republican nor emirates; and not under any system that is adopted internationally. No constitution, neither a government nor a legitimate ruler; nothing but a dictatorship that is ruling it since September 1969.
The distribution of the population is somehow sparse compared to its total geographical area. Libya with over than 2.6 million square kilometers is inhabited by more than 5 million people. This is an approximate figure since no officially trusted figures are available.
The vast majority of population is distributed largely at the coastal areas of the nation and this distribution gradually decreases towards the areas under the coast line followed by the south desert where the population is dispersed over a larger geographical area.
Despite the economical wealth of Libya, especially in the oil and gas industry and the other natural resources with a very low population density, the economical situation of an average Libyan citizen is still hurtful. The average standard of living; the condition of the infrastructure in Libya is terribly at low levels, the education, health care, and the general services are dreadful. Furthermore, the degree of advancement in the institutions and civil services are very slow and in most parts ineffective; this is because of the regime backwardness and the high level of state bureaucracy and dictatorship. As a result, a considerable percentage of illiteracy in the Libyan society still exists and the educational level is also limited; political activities are forbidden and the current regime uses all kinds of oppression and fear against all basic human rights and freedoms.
Throughout history and because of the historical association of Libyans with other civilizations and with the dynamics of historical events, Libyans believed in many religions and adopted many faiths such as Judaism, Christianity under different sects including Islam in which today Islam represents the official state religion and the fate of the vast majority of Libyans. Under this religious umbrella of Islam, and because of the political, ideological, and the religious Arabism control, in what so called Arab nationalism, Libya officially belongs to what’s called the “Arab world” that actually represent an enormous geographical area with different cultures, ethnicities, and languages; yet its forcefully called the Arab world and identify these societies, with different cultures and languages, as an Arab. This was also represented politically in what so called “the Arab league organization” with all its branches and different organizational unites.
Today, the only ideologies that are strongly emphasized and heavily advertised in the political and the cultural arena are Islamo-Arabism and the ideology of Arab Nationalism which marginalizes, oppresses and suppresses any others who are different. These situations lead to the change in the identity, cultural and linguistic elements of the majority of Libyans which in turn was one of the reasons why most Libyans lost their sense of national belongings and their affiliation to their nation. They also lost the feeling of being part of their land and culture and the ability in holding on to their language; even their regional and international relationships were somehow being affected. These conditions gradually led most Libyans to distance themselves from their true identity and cause them to let go their sense of being affiliated to their land and leave behind their mother tongue. In view of that, the spread of Arab Nationalism and the Islamo-Arabism ideologies amongst many Libyans created an atmosphere such that, they relate and interact amongst themselves and with others only from these narrow, racial and religious points of views which resulted in vanishing all past collection of being connected with other civilizations and their lose of being able to amenable and accept other different cultures, religions, and languages. These conditions had also led most Libyans to adopt only Arab language and believe only in Islam by being repressively rejecting any citizen who does not speak Arabic or believe in its ideologies as well as who does not profess Islam or any of its sects.
Under these oppressive conditions, the “Tamazight speaking” Libyan society, who are attempting to defend and protect their original Libyan identity, culture and language, had become a linguistic minority that is marginalized, targeted, and oppressed by the political agencies of the current regime and its security apparatus as well as from some of the political and human rights groups of the opposition who claims to be the political opponent of the current regime outside Libya.
In this regard, as we are classifying the Tamazight speaking population of Libya as a “linguistic Minority”, we meant it and we understand what this means very well. Any outside observer to the daily life of Libyans will see no differences between the vast majority (if not all) Libyans in their distinctive culture, and unique social customs and traditions even in much of its details: their countenance and appearances, their names and surnames, names of their geographical areas and places, towns, villages and landmarks, their customs and traditions, their heritage and public literature and style, their art and music, their rituals and believes, their costumes and cuisine. The only difference being exist is between the “Arabized” majority of Libyans who are allied with the extreme Islamo-Arabism and the Arab nationalism ideologies, and the minority of Libyans who are still maintaining their Tamazight spoken language whom their existence being targeted along with their language and all what includes in that culture and language from history to civilizations and traditions.
Tamazight Language:
Tamazight Language is the Libyan language that is still used in North Africa since the dawn of history. Its alphabet is called “Tifi-nagh” in old Libyan or “Libico” language according to many historical references. The Tamazight language had existed historically with most ancient languages that is been used by humankind, it had been influenced by these languages and vise versa; such languages are Greek, Phoenicians, and the hieroglyphic language and many others. The Tamazight language and its scripts is fortuitously preserved and still used today, mainly by women of Touarq Amazigh population in the south of Libya.
Most of the ancient languages, stated above, were vanished or being reserved inside museums or ancient landmarks except our Tamazight language, with its different dialects. This language is still remains alive and widely spoken in many areas of North Africa, a unique challenge that had to put up with throughout its historical existence, age, and many other effects. This is what we consider a cultural and linguistic phenomenon that we need to stop at, in order to address it for further analysis and studies. We could safely conclude that Tamazight language is one of the ancient languages that is still spoken and written amongst Imazighen therefore, it is considered a valuable and unique cultural and human inheritance. It is the duty of the international community and all the concerned international institutions to protect this valuable language and culture, stop all kinds of oppression and negligence that is imposed against this language and its speakers, and assist by all means to its recognition, protection, and development.