17. The Mauritanian beauties that often spoil our minds…

Whatever you say there’s no match for the virtues of Indian women anywhere in the world. I felt the same when one of my colleagues spoke highly of women here. However, my perception changed after seeing Jordanian, Mauritanian, Syrian, and Tunisian women. It’s not an exaggeration to say they are just as beautiful as Indian women. Yet, the women here, in the region I reside in, are only average in appearance. This doesn’t apply to all Libyan women but specifically to those from the southern region where I live. The majority of the people in this region are Black, as most belong to the Black race, making up 95% of the population. I am not implying that all Black people are unattractive, but for some reason, these "Black beauties" don’t align with our conventional notions of beauty. In contrast, in the northern and eastern regions—places like Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Zawiya, Sabratha, Zuwara, and Al Khums—most women are fair-skinned and appear attractive. The men in these regions are also fair and good-looking. It’s predominantly a White race there, and you wouldn’t see a single Black person in those areas. Here in the south, however, Black people are predominant, with very few Whites. Whites often look down on Blacks, showing disdain whenever possible. For example, during a bus journey from Sabha to Tripoli, there were a few Black Libyans traveling with us. At the checkpoints, the White police officers deliberately harassed them, asking for unnecessary documents and creating obstacles. I observed this firsthand. Such incidents lead to frequent clashes between the two groups. During Gaddafi’s rule, such conflicts were kept under control, but they have escalated since his demise. In the town of Ghat, where I live, such discrimination is minimal because the majority of the population here is Black. However, in Sabha, which is 650 km away, the population is a mix of Whites and Blacks, leading to frequent skirmishes that sometimes escalate into major conflicts. Yet, in my six years here, I’ve never seen Blacks feel inferior about their skin color. On the contrary, they take pride in it. Back in India, we often assume that all Africans are Black, and I had the same assumption when I arrived here. But my belief was shattered upon seeing so many fair-skinned people in Africa. Many countries in Africa, such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, and Morocco, have predominantly fair-skinned populations. These people often resemble Europeans in appearance. This is probably why they possess a superiority complex and look down on Black people. While they may appear outwardly polite toward Blacks, they rarely harbor genuine affection for them. Is there any part of the world where this kind of racial discrimination doesn’t exist? Regardless of the laws we create, the disdain for Black people, ingrained over centuries, doesn’t seem to vanish easily.

Mauritanian women are originally from Mauritania and migrate to Libya either in search of work or for business purposes. Looking at it, Libya is half-filled with foreigners. The locals here are so dependent on foreigners that without them, no work would get done. There is a reason for this. When Gaddafi was in power, he provided foreign workers with loans, meals, accommodation, education, water, electricity, and other necessities, so the locals never had to struggle or work hard. Those who didn't know how to work naturally became dependent on others. As a result, many people from Egypt (Masharatis), the Philippines, Jordan, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan, Palestine, India, Ghana, Gambia, Niger, and Nigeria come here in search of work. Among them, Indians, Jordanians, Sudanese, Filipinos, and Iraqis are mostly employed as lecturers, doctors, engineers, or nurses. Egyptians are primarily involved in trade, and they dominate the local market here. Pakistanis work as either shopkeepers or photographers. Meanwhile, people from poorer countries like Ghana, Gambia, Niger, and Nigeria mostly take up menial jobs. Many of them work as sweepers, plumbers, painters, or cable workers. However, in the larger cities like Tripoli, Benghazi, and Misrata, there are Libyans who work hard. The cost of living in these cities is high, so many people take up multiple jobs to improve their standard of living. During my time in Tripoli, I met many taxi drivers who worked as lecturers, teachers, or lawyers in the morning. In this sense, even though people here hold high positions, there is no pride or sense of "Dignity of Labor" when it comes to doing lower-level jobs. I was talking about Mauritanian beauties earlier. Like other foreigners, Mauritanian women also come to Libya in search of opportunities. They work hard here for a few years and then return to their country. Some of them settle here. Among those who come looking for work, some work as waitresses in local hotels. Others, who are financially stable, start their own hotels. They begin small and gradually expand their businesses. Some even take contracts for meals, snacks, tea, and coffee from large established hotels owned by locals. In fact, in these Mauritanian hotels, most of the workers are women. From hotel owners to cooks, laundry workers, cleaners, and waitresses, they handle all the tasks. From a business perspective, this helps attract male customers, as these women are often attractive and resemble Europeans, making them even more appealing. They maintain cleanliness and are always well-groomed. Once, my Libyan friend laughed and said, "These women are ready to sell their bodies if the opportunity arises, along with their waiter work." Because of this, their hotels are often crowded with men. However, it doesn’t mean that they openly engage in prostitution at their hotels. Prostitution is illegal in Libya, and those caught face severe punishment. Therefore, they do not directly engage in such activities themselves. Instead, men who frequent these hotels must establish a connection over time before anything happens. They have to attract the women slowly through conversation, and if the women are interested, they may agree to meet at a secret location to finalize things. While dealing with these men, the women must be very cautious. It's not just these Mauritanian women who are involved in prostitution. Women from neighboring poor countries like Niger, Nigeria, and Ghana also come here and engage in prostitution to make a living. Libyans say that under Gaddafi's rule, prostitution was not as prevalent as it is now. They mention that many Libyans used to visit Tunisia, close to Tripoli, to experience the services of white prostitutes there.

Anyway, for various reasons, many foreigners who have left their families in their home countries and settled here are often drawn to the Mauritanian beauties. Even though they realize that attracting them is not that easy, they continue to cultivate desires for them in secret. Many times, these men, driven by their unchecked desires, think of taking the women to enjoy the pleasures of their body and satisfy their physical cravings. However, they fail to attract them as easily as they thought, and return disappointed, without finding satisfaction. Moreover, they become frightened of the local customs and fall silent, accepting their defeat. That's why I refer to these Mauritanian beauties as nothing but women who only lead one’s mind astray. Photos: Photo 1: A young man from Niger cleaning the street. Photo 2: Young men from Niger, Nigeria, Gambia, and Ghana waiting for work with their tools by the roadside. Kannada Original: Uday Itagi English Translation: Uday Itagi