4. Mohammed Gaddafi and the English Language

Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for over 42 years, became infamous not just for his unique fashion, eccentric behaviour, and stubbornness, but for his outspoken criticism of America. Despite his competence as a leader, Gaddafi's controversial actions, such as openly criticizing America without any hesitation, earned him the ire of many world leaders, especially those in other Muslim-majority countries. They warned him to avoid such direct confrontations, but Gaddafi continued to target America, eventually contributing to his downfall. In his early years, Gaddafi was an effective leader. Under his rule, Libya achieved significant progress in human resource development, education, health, agriculture, and industry, becoming a leading country in Africa in these areas. Additionally, Libya’s national revenue saw growth, placing it among the countries with the highest per capita income globally. As a result, Gaddafi was widely regarded as a trusted leader by the Libyan people. However, his political sensitivity often turned into stubbornness, which had consequences. Gaddafi's stubbornness, while largely a private matter, at times impacted his public decisions, and one such decision left a dark mark on Libya's future. His strong animosity toward America extended to their language—English. Not only did he despise the American government, but Gaddafi also harboured a strong disdain for the English language, which led him to actively discourage its teaching in Libya. He even banned English language education, depriving an entire generation of Libyans of the opportunity to learn the language for about a decade. This decision was a significant setback for the country’s educational and professional development. As a result of this decision, all of Libya was plunged into darkness for a decade. In a world on the edge of the 20th century, where people were striving to learn the English language, how would it have been if a country, for trivial reasons, had banned that language saying, "We don’t need it"? Just imagine the situation. As a consequence, the learning and teaching of English were abandoned in schools and colleges. Books related to the English language were publicly burned in the presence of the then Minister of Education. Gradually, Libya, without any contact with the English language, started distancing itself from the outside world. Meanwhile, the people of Libya began developing a strong aversion to learning English, and they turned away from the global community. The language was considered an enemy language, and the decision to not learn it was deeply ingrained. Even today, there is a clear phobia about the language among the people here. When I, a foreigner who didn’t speak Arabic, tried to speak English with the people of that generation who didn’t know English, they would apologize saying, "Malish, malish, ma'arif Englishi" (Sorry, I don’t know English) and run away. However, some educated and wealthy individuals went to neighboring countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, and Ghana to learn English and returned. But the middle-class and poor people were left behind, unable to even learn the basics of the language. As a result, the people of Libya, while praising Gaddafi for his other deeds, still curse him for this particular decision. They lament, saying, "Because of him, we were never able to learn English." So, why did Gaddafi ban the English language in Libya for ten years, from 1986 to 1996? What was such a strong reason? When asked, many people here say that it was Gaddafi’s stubbornness and his personal hatred towards Americans that led to this. Due to Libya's alleged support for terrorist activities in Ireland, Europe had already placed Libya on the list of “terrorist” countries. However, in 1986, after the bombing of a nightclub in Berlin, where Gaddafi was suspected to be involved, the United States also added Libya to its list of “terrorist” countries and retaliated by bombing Libya's capital, Tripoli. As a result, Libya was temporarily isolated. Later, in 1988, Libya was implicated in the bombing of a Pan Am flight, flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland. For a long time, Gaddafi denied any involvement. This led the United Nations to impose further sanctions on Libya. This enraged Gaddafi, and in retaliation for his anger towards Americans, he decided to ban the English language in his country, asking why his people should read, write, or speak the language of his enemies.

However, Hafid Fis, the director of the Amazigh International Council (Amazigh refers to an ethnic minority group in Libya that has been historically marginalized), says, “Gaddafi’s ban on the English language for about ten years was merely an excuse for his anger towards Americans. The real reason is different. Gaddafi was afraid of the Libyans. Since he came to power, Gaddafi gradually gained control over the Libyans and began to oppress them. He feared that if they learned English, they might communicate with the outside world and expose his oppression. Therefore, he deliberately banned the English language in his country and ensured that his people did not learn it. In fact, Gaddafi maintained good relations with many English-speaking countries, including his bitter enemy, the United States. He used this policy as a tool to prevent the Libyan people from connecting with the outside world.” If we carefully examine this statement by comparing it with the days before and after Gaddafi's ban on the English language, there seems to be no validity in his words. This is because, from the very beginning of his rule, Gaddafi sent his citizens, including those learning English, on scholarships to English-speaking countries like America and Britain. If he was afraid of the Libyans, why would he send them to English-speaking countries? Furthermore, were there no Libyans who had learned English before 1986 who could have spoken out about his oppression? And after lifting the ban on the English language, did he not fear that his people might learn English and expose his oppression to the outside world? If so, why did he encourage English education again? The answer to all these questions is clear. Gaddafi banned the English language out of his anger towards America, and there was no malicious intent behind the decision. This is supported by a Ph.D. student named Al Moghani Hassan Mohammed, who states in his thesis, “Students’ Perceptions of Motivation in English Language Learning in Libya”, how Gaddafi’s hatred towards the English language and Americans had a negative impact on the Libyan people's ability to learn English. He also describes how the citizens followed their leader in this regard. He further adds, Gaddafi once said in his speech about Americans: "We strongly condemn the imperialist nation of America, which threatens the sovereignty of Jamahiriya (Libyan socialism). In this regard, we are all enemies of the Americans. Let our hatred for the Americans be recorded in history." This intense hatred toward Americans by Gaddafi had a profound effect on the Libyan people as well. Like him, they too became enemies of Americans and began to hate the English language. As a result, every child born here became a product of hatred toward Americans. Gradually, as Libya’s relationship with America improved, Gaddafi began to realize the importance of the English language. He also understood the truth that without learning English, the business dealings of the Americans would remain unknown to them and Libya would have no bright future. As a result, he resumed the teaching of English. Some claim that Gaddafi banned English and then resumed its teaching in 1992, but it wasn’t widely implemented across the country until 1996. Others assert that for about ten years, from 1986 to 1996, Libya had no exposure to the English language. However, from 1996 onwards, Gaddafi made all the necessary arrangements to facilitate the learning of English. He hired English teachers from neighboring countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt, and resumed teaching English. He also sought help from English-speaking countries to develop textbooks for primary, preparatory, and secondary schools. This is why the English textbooks in Libya are of such high quality. The unfortunate part, however, is the lack of good teachers to teach them properly. Meanwhile, a survey conducted revealed that Indians were equally proficient in English compared to the British. Based on this, from 2000 onwards, Gaddafi began recruiting Indian English lecturers for Libyan colleges and placed greater emphasis on the learning of English. So, did Gaddafi know English? Was he able to speak in English? The answer is definitely yes. Gaddafi learned English during his secondary school education and while pursuing his B.A. However, he had to cut short his studies to ascend the throne of Libya, effectively ending his formal education. As a result, his knowledge of English was limited. Could he speak English? Certainly, he could. While he wasn’t fluent, he could articulate what he wanted to say slowly yet precisely in English. He would speak in English only when absolutely necessary, at least until he banned the English language in his country. Even before banning English, his interviews with foreign media were always conducted in English. However, after prohibiting the language in Libya, he completely stopped speaking English. In the subsequent years, whenever he had to give interviews to English channels or hold discussions with leaders of other nations, he always had a skilled translator by his side who was fluent in both Arabic and English. This translator would interpret English into Arabic for Gaddafi and convey Gaddafi's words back into English for others. Beyond that, Gaddafi never liked speaking in English, and he largely avoided it. In 1999, the famous interviewer Daphne asked Gaddafi during a BBC interview, "So… when are you going to quit and leave the stage for someone else?" The translator, possibly due to fear, embarrassment, or not understanding the question properly, remained silent. Daphne asked the same question again, and the translator stayed silent. At this point, just as Daphne was considering asking the question in Arabic, Gaddafi, unable to speak English fluently, said without the help of a translator: "It is not about me quitting, after all – I am the head of a revolution…” Despite this, Gaddafi, on September 23, 2009, at the United Nations, made sure to prepare thoroughly and delivered his speech in English for about 90 minutes (15 minutes longer than the allotted time), setting a historical record. This was his first speech at the United Nations. However, leaders from English-speaking countries, including the United States, looked down upon him. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other prominent figures did not attend his speech. In fact, even US Secretary Hillary Clinton and American diplomats walked out before he began his speech. Nevertheless, Gaddafi persistently continued speaking in English, expressing without hesitation everything he wanted to say. Initially, he pointed out that the United States should learn from the Middle Eastern countries on how to properly host guests. He also remarked that the United Nations, according to its Charter, should treat all its members equally. However, he highlighted that this principle was not followed in practice and symbolically waved the Charter in front of the gathering. He continued, saying that the primary purpose of the United Nations was to prevent wars around the world, to preserve global peace. Yet, since its founding in 1945, 65 wars had occurred globally, and the UN had failed to prevent them. He questioned the very existence of the United Nations. Moving on, he urged the United States to stop interfering in other countries’ matters, criticizing the Iraq war as "America’s ultimate crime." Regarding the Palestinian conflict, he called for Palestinians and Israelis to live together in one country. However, those who listened to his speech found it difficult to understand his points, as it lacked coherence and logical flow, leading to further disregard for him. Unfortunately, this speech was Gaddafi’s final speech at the United Nations. Photo 1: In 1999, before the famous interviewer Daphne took Gaddafi to the studio for the BBC Channel interview. Kannada Original: Uday Itagi English Translation: Uday Itagi