In the first part, I discussed the concept of equality during Gaddafi's regime. In this context, I expressed surprise and doubt about how such equality could be possible in a dictatorship. However, one day, I came across Gaddafi's book "The Green Book" in our college library, and it provided answers to all my questions. As I read, I became astounded by his lines of thinking. After taking power as the head of the country on September 1, 1969, Gaddafi resigned from the position in 1972, assuming the title “Brotherly Leader and Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya” and took control of Libya. This title sparked hope among many people. During a time of changes in Asia and Africa, Gaddafi, a young man who came to power, seemed to many like a liberator for Africa and the Arab world.
Quickly, Gaddafi brought about significant changes in Libya, making it one of the leading nations in Africa. Like Mao's "Little Red Book", Gaddafi also abolished the constitution of Libya that had been in place for six years after he took power and published his own "The Green Book" in 1975. This marked the beginning of his rule according to his own ideas. In the book, Gaddafi outlined his new political, economic, and social ideologies, which startled the world. As usual, there was much talk about his "Green Book": some called it a book of Gaddafi’s false ideas, others saw it as a strategy to deceive the people. Some believed that with the "Green Book", Gaddafi slowly won over the Libyan people, bringing them under his control. However, it wasn’t false that his "Green Book" quickly became extremely popular in Libya. It was even adopted as a textbook in schools and colleges. Children, youth, and adults alike were influenced by his ideas. Thus, through his "Green Book", Gaddafi swiftly and firmly embedded his thoughts in the hearts and minds of the people.
Some experts have compared Gaddafi's political and economic ideas presented in the Green Book to the philosophies of Rousseau, Karl Marx, and Mao. Others have stated that he based his ideas on Islamic principles. However, in an interview given to an English newspaper in 1979, Gaddafi confidently stated about his Green Book: “America may wage war against us, the West may isolate us, but I am not worried. My ‘Green Book’ continues to speak to the world.” It is no surprise that, in this context, the Green Book was seen as an invaluable text by the Libyan people. They believed that the Green Book was their breath, and their breath was the Green Book.
So, what exactly did the Green Book contain? What did Gaddafi say in it? Let's take a look. The first pages of Gaddafi's Green Book begin by criticizing the system of democracy. In a democratic system, the party that wins the most votes comes to power. For example, let’s assume there are two parties, 'A' and 'B'. If party 'A' wins 51% of the votes and party 'B' wins 49%, then naturally, the party with 51% of the votes comes to power. This means that 49% of the people do not agree with the government, but they are still subjected to the rule of the party that has 51% of the votes, and they are expected to obey whatever the government says. However, Gaddafi believed that true democracy meant there should be no parties, because creating parties would divide society like splitting it into two factions. In a democratic system, citizens should participate directly in everything, not through elected representatives. Many political experts sharply criticize Gaddafi for using this principle as a weapon against the Libyan people, claiming that he manipulated them into believing in his system of socialism while preventing any form of democracy from being established. They argue that Gaddafi made the people of Libya fall into his trap by deceiving them about the flaws of democracy, and he ensured that a true democratic system never emerged in the country.
In the second part, Gaddafi discusses socialism and the economic system. In a socialist society, there are no laborers. Even if there are, they should not be called "laborers." Instead, consider them your collaborators. They are not inferior to you. They, like you, have contributed to the upliftment of society and are active participants in it. Remember, laborers are never slaves to their masters. The only way to eliminate the system of slavery is to abolish that very system. Therefore, in his view, laborers should not be looked down upon. Gaddafi argued that every family should perform its own daily household tasks. According to him, whether housewives are paid for their work or not, they are always slaves as long as they are doing the work. He compared a prisoner and a laborer as being no different, both being in bondage. His extreme concern for the plight of laborers had a deep impact on the people of Libya. For example, taxi drivers there cannot lift or unload your luggage. If your luggage is too heavy, only if you request them kindly, out of human compassion, they may help you. Otherwise, you must do the work yourself. Additionally, there is no concept of dignity of labor there. I have traveled in taxis in Tripoli many times, and I have spoken to drivers. Many of them do this as a part-time job. In the morning, they work as teachers, lecturers, or in other professions. In that sense, Gaddafi ensured that Libyans were economically independent. However, it is ironic that while Gaddafi advocated for everyone to do their own work, he employed workers in his own house. When asked by the people, they often wonder, "What is wrong with employing workers when a person takes on the responsibility of governing an entire country?"
Gaddafi dreamed that every citizen of his country should own their own home. According to him, a person who lives in someone else's house, whether paying rent or not, will always remain a slave to the owner of that house. Therefore, he proposed a plan to provide each family with a house. Additionally, he offered interest-free loans for people to buy cars, so that they could own their own vehicles. However, many Libyans would build just a few stages of their homes and then stop, never completing them. Gaddafi never questioned them about why they did not finish the construction. Some of Gaddafi's statements about workers were far from reality. Just as Karl Marx’s statement that “half of the wealth of the capitalists should go to the working class” proved to be unrealistic, many of Gaddafi’s theories were also impractical and led to dissatisfaction among the capitalists of Libya. In the third part, Gaddafi presents his views on women. He firmly believed that women were equal to men, except for biological differences. He argued that in every aspect, women were just as capable as men, and in some ways, women were actually superior. He pointed out that while men cannot menstruate, bear children, or nurse; women can do all of these things, making them more fortunate in his view. Gaddafi encouraged women not to see their roles as a curse but as a blessing. He ensured equal opportunities for women in all sectors, fought internationally for the rights of Libyan women, and even advocated for women who married Europeans or Englishmen to receive citizenship, ensuring they had the right to seek justice in case of divorce.
Gaddafi went as far as to appoint only female soldiers for his personal protection, believing in their competence. He trusted their abilities and sought to show the world that women were just as capable as men. Additionally, he believed that by granting women military roles, he was demonstrating that they could defend themselves in times of crisis. Through appointing women to the highest military positions, such as personal bodyguards, Gaddafi showed the world that women could hold important roles in defence and leadership. Thus, Gaddafi became the first leader in the world to acknowledge women’s competence in such positions, making a significant statement about their abilities.
Gaddafi, when writing The Green Book, was neither the most educated nor the most well read individual. However, it is believed that he was heavily influenced by the speeches of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1952, when Nasser overthrew the British-backed King Farouk of Egypt, he became a role model for the young Gaddafi. Nasser's speeches, broadcast on Cairo's radio program "Voices of Arabs," had a significant impact on Gaddafi. In his 1955 book, Egypt’s Liberation: The Philosophy of the Revolution, Nasser argued that the Arab world was drifting aimlessly and urgently needed a leader to unite it and lead it forward. Gaddafi, inspired by this, believed that he could be that leader and began working toward unifying the African continent, eventually becoming a popular leader by implementing the ideas presented in The Green Book.
Not content with simply gaining popularity in Libya, Gaddafi sought to spread his philosophies globally. Between the 1980s and 1990s, he spent millions of dollars translating The Green Book into over thirty languages, hosting discussions, and funding research on it. However, on February 17, 2011, Libyan rebels burned The Green Book as a symbol of their protest, marking the beginning of the Libyan revolution. This act of defiance set the stage for the subsequent turmoil in the country, the outcome of which is well known.
Photo 1: Gaddafi participating in a discussion on The Green Book in Sebha on March 7, 2007.
Photo 2: The Green Book
Photo 3: Gaddafi's green flag, representing Libya under his leadership.
Kannada Original: Uday Itagi
English Translation: Uday Itagi
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