Libyan women savor new freedoms after revolution

[tabatha]

TRIPOLI, Libya — Like many Libyan women, Siham el-Zentani was consumed by family responsibilities, staying at home to care for her four teenage children. But when she saw the TV images of Libyan refugees fleeing Moammar Gaddafi’s troops this year, she announced to her husband that she had a new mission. “I want to go,” she said.

Within weeks, the 54-year-old Benghazi resident recalled, she was hiking into the western mountains with two female friends, their backpacks stuffed with cash they had collected to help displaced Libyans and anti-Gaddafi rebels.

--------------

In reality, though, women were constrained — not so much by laws as by the perceived brutality of his government. Many Libyans saw Gaddafi’s security forces as bullies who could mistreat women with impunity. Rumors flew that pretty young women were vulnerable to being yanked away from a restaurant or university for sexual abuse by the leader or his powerful sons.

As a result, men limited their wives’ and daughters’ movements, especially discouraging them from taking part in activities related to Gaddafi and his official Revolutionary Committees.

“The Revolutionary Committees were very violent and scary people. They were in every city and government space,” said Amira Alshokri, 25, a computer engineer in Tripoli. “Everyone didn’t want women to get involved in such a dirty sphere.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/libyan-women-savor-new-freedoms-after-revolution/2011/11/03/gIQAhgB9lM_story.html

[MedleyMisty]

1. But Gaddafi was the coolest socialist leader ever!

And under his dictatorship, Libyan women were more free and equal than American women! Now they will all have to wear full burkas and won't be allowed to drive and will be killed if they are raped!

You're naive and silly and believe in imperialist propaganda!

/sarcasm

:)

[DCBob]

3. HA!

:thumbsup:

[TheWraith]

46. +1. But I'm sure there are plenty of people who seriously believe that shit. nt

[JI7]

2. Saddam's sons did the same thing, just pick out any young woman they wanted to have sex with

if the women didn't want them they would just rape them.

[dionysus]

4. that's propaganda! Gadaffi was FDR!!1 the terrorists will win!!!11!1!

how'd i do?

;)

[Arctic Dave]

5. Unrec for rumor mongering.

"Rumors flew that pretty young women were vulnerable to being yanked away from a restaurant or university for sexual abuse by the leader or his powerful sons."

I hear people were raped at the and kiled in the superdome during Katrina. What? What do you mean it was all made up.

[DCBob]

8. so you think the rumors were just rumors?

You think it was just a misunderstanding of the "kindness" and "affection" their "great" leader and his sons displayed towards pretty young Libyan women?

[Arctic Dave]

11. Well in that case then I heard they were all ten feet tall and shot lasers from their eyes.

All while flying their hover motorcycles.

Amazing, huh? That's what I heard.

[DCBob]

12. Hadnt heard that one. that would be something to see!

[tabatha]

14. ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2031197/Gaddafis-girl-executioner-Nisreen-19-admits-shooting-11-rebel-prisoners.html

[Arctic Dave]

18. Daily Mail? Anything that is a little less Enquirer?

[tabatha]

20. It was reported all over.

http://www.news.com.au/world/gaddafis-girl-killer/story-e6frfkyi-1226125258998

http://www.mediaite.com/online/report-nisreen-mansour-al-forgani-19-recounts-her-work-as-an-executioner-for-gaddafi/

http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/gaddafi-s-girl-executioner-1.1126644?TB_iframe=true&height=600&keepThis=true&width=900

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=90f_1314608791

http://www.naijavote.com/view/1876

[Arctic Dave]

23. These are all the same article. No one else bothered to follow up on this?

In the article she says she shot eleven poeple in the room, we're is the blood?


Is there any follow up to this?

[tabatha]

39. Other sources

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110828/local/Gaddafi-raped-his-female-bodyguards.382085

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-08-30/world/libya.female.fighter_1_rebels-plan-rebel-fighters-moammar-gadhafi?_s=PM:WORLD

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/07/gaddafis-amazonian-bodyguards-barracks

[Arctic Dave]

41. Once again, it's all the same story. Did no one do a follow up or even verify any of this?

My guess is, no. The media saw a story to sell headlines, went with it and never bothered to check ant of it out.

[tabatha]

42. There will be plenty of checking in the future.

[DCBob]

6. The last line in the article tells it all..

“We are not afraid anymore,” she said.

[walerosco]

7. I guess all the stories

of African women being raped by rebel fighters is all a lie. Give the rebels the chance because in time, they will turn their aggression on the Libyan people.

[DCBob]

9. I suspect the stories of abuses by some rebels were real.. that often happens during civil wars.

You do realize the rebels are Libyan people.. right??

[tabatha]

13. I have to see one validated story of African women raped by rebels.

African women were raped, but they could not say where it was pro- or anti-Gadaffi that did it.

[Prometheus Bound]

19. 'We Were Raped, Robbed by Libyan Rebels'

'We Were Raped, Robbed by Libyan Rebels'
28 Oct 2011

By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Thirty days in the desert after fleeing the crisis-torn Libya, 450 Nigerians yesterday arrived Maiduguri, Borno State, with tales of rape, torture and loss of their personal effects to the fighters opposed to the regime of late Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

....Narrating her ordeal, Splendid Eze, who claimed that she had been in Libya since the last four years, said at the peak of the revolution, she had to take refuge at the United Nations camp in Saba, Libya for two months.

Eze said she was repatriated alongside 450 others from the camp on 28 September and they were made to take the long and tortuous journey through the desert.

She said before leaving the camp at Saba, they faced various hazardous situations including sleeping in the open and getting hit by bullets from the warring factions.

According to her, they did not fare better on the journey back home as they “were robbed and raped by the rebels”.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-8216-we-were-raped-robbed-by-libyan-rebels-8217-/101517/

[tabatha]

21. So let me get this staright

"Narrating her ordeal, Splendid Eze, who claimed that she had been in Libya since the last four years, said at the peak of the revolution, she had to take refuge at the United Nations camp in Saba, Libya for two months."

They were in a UN camp, and the UN then gave them over to the rebels to get them out of Libya.

As far as I know foreign nationals were transported out of the country by official humanitarian organizations including the Red Cross, the UN and the one who seems to have done the most, IOM.

I doubt very much that the UN would have let them go out any other way than with one of the three organizations, UN, ICRC. IOM.

Not buying.

[Prometheus Bound]

22. Can you suggest any motive for her lying about her and others in her group being raped?

[tabatha]

38. Since I have no knowledge of the facts,

then I cannot make a judgement about who raped, etc.

All I can add is what I know is standard procedure regarding foreign workers in Libya - they have all been taken out by humanitarian organizations, especially IOM. Not by rebels.

[EFerrari]

26. It was reported by everyone weeks ago.

McClatchy, WaPo, CSM, Al Jazeera.

[TheWraith]

48. So were the many and worse crimes of Ghaddafi.

And yet, suddenly those sources that are SO reliable when you want to believe the story, are lying imperialist warmonger propaganda rags when you don't.

[iris27]

10. Let's hope this lasts, and isn't just a brief window where women can breathe easy before

Sharia brings its own set of Saudi-esque restrictions on women's freedoms.

[RegieRocker]

50. I'll second that.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[inna]

16. War is Peace!

What an absurd piece of stark propaganda. Would be laughable if it wasn't sad.

[DCBob]

17. So the WashPost is also in on this massive anti-Gaddafi conspiracy??

The world media is free to interview and investigate now in Libya. Why arent there any stories about this massive conspiracy and coverup??

[Fumesucker]

24. The stenographers of the WaPo print what the government tells them..

The days of intrepid reporters digging out the true facts (tm) like Woodward and Bernstein with Watergate are but a hazy memory.

[Prometheus Bound]

28. As a matter of fact there are. Here is one that has been given coverage on DU.

But not in the corporate media. I can't imagine why not, unless they are a bunch of warmongering propaganda whores.

http://www.laguerrehumanitaire.fr/english

[DCBob]

29. How about something other than a youtube video on some dude's blog?

Dont the African nations have a media? Why arent they reporting on this?

[Prometheus Bound]

31. Journalism doesn't get more investigative than that. Right from the horse's mouth.

I'm absolutely flabbergasted at your reaction.

[DCBob]

32. Do you trust all blogger independent news sources as accurate?

If so I am even more flabbergasted.

[Prometheus Bound]

34. Unbelievable. You clearly did not watch the interviews.

If you did accuracy would not be an issue.

[DCBob]

36. I watched part of it. What bothers me is why mainstream ME/African media are not covering this..

There were many African nations supporting Gaddafi. If this is such a horrific conspiracy and coverup why dont they try to expose it?? South AFrica has a decent media and they supported Gaddafi.. why doesnt their media have anything about this. I searched some of their news sites and there is nothing like what your independent bloggers are reporting..

http://mg.co.za/
http://www.news24.com/
http://www.iol.co.za/
http://www.timeslive.co.za/

This tells me your independent bloggers are probably misinformed, confused and/or intentionally exaggerating the facts.

[walerosco]

30. please watch this in its entirety

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5CtNsbzlBI

[DCBob]

33. I would rather read something.. I really dont have time to watch a 11 min vid.

I am still wondering why Al Jazerra or other ME/African media dont do some reporting on this. There are several African nations who supported Gaddafi so why dont they try to expose this alleged conspiracy? Is their media also in on the coverup? It just makes no sense.

[walerosco]

40. I cant think of any African institution that

supported Gaddafi. I remember the Nigerian president giving a statement asking Gaddafi to resign and leave the country. The idea that any African country supporting the Libyan govt is a lie.

If you cant watch the video, can u atleast read the transcript of the video which is located in the info section of the yt video

[DCBob]

43. I recall a number of African leaders/groups/institutions proclaiming support for Gaddafi..

Here's an article referring to this.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/680842/Gaddafis-death-no-celebration-for-Africa.aspx

So why arent the media in these countries investigating and reporting on this alleged anti-Gaddafi conspiracy and coverup?? Are the only people speaking the truth a few independent western bloggers posting on youtube. You do realize how absurd that sounds?

[walerosco]

45. give me names of the said

countries and institutions.

[DCBob]

47. read the article.

[JanMichael]

37. Th WP has some of the worst hacks in media. While some think it is "liberal"...

...it is not. It is corporate.

[inna]

53. have no clue as to what you're referring as "massive conspiracy and coverup";

your comment makes little sense to me, frankly.

I simply said that the piece in WP is obvious propaganda; how you got to conspiracy theories from there is... a little odd and makes no sense. :shrug:

[DCBob]

54. What's odd is no media outlet worldwide is reporting the "truth" except a few indy journalists.

That makes no sense to me given there are many nations and groups who were supportive of Gaddafi yet they are not speaking out on what would appear to be a massive anti-Gaddafi conspiracy and coverup. Maybe Im misunderstanding something. If so please explain it to me.

[EFerrari]

25. Oh, come on. Clearly unguarded weapons depots and out of control militias

portend a radical improvement for women's quality of life.

[Cali_Democrat]

44. stark propaganda

so true

[daleo]

27. They are free to be in a polygamous marriage again

As if that's an improvement.

[SidDithers]

35. Can't be true...

I read right here that Ghaddafi was the FDR of Africa.

Sid

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[inna]

51. truly despicable comment. you should know better than that, Odin.

[Fumesucker]

55. Were you a "Saddam Lover" in 2003?

Objectively pro-Saddam is the phrase I remember being painted with because I thought invading Iraq was a bad idea.

[Odin2005]

57. We never invaded Libya.

[Fumesucker]

58. How did you like being called "Saddam Lover"?

Unless you liked it why would you turn around and use the same insult, very slightly reworded, on others?

[yurbud]

52. this has the stink of propaganda to counter the reality that DC replaced a secular gov't with

Islamists who will likely make things worse for women.

[UnseenUndergrad]

56. Good article.

I know there is a lot of apprehension about the reliability of the WashPost, but I found it a rather balanced view of the issue. Traditionalism vs. ambition in the new Libya vs, a "do as I say, not as I do" situation under Gaddafi, where contradictory messages and conditions were all over the metaphorical place.

However, the comments section shows the same variety of opinions as on here, as in supporters vs. anti-interventionists, anti-western conspiracy theorists, closet islamophobes and authoritarian leftists.

[eridani]

59. Unless they are black African women n/t