A Statue of the Libyan teacher and freedom fighter in Caracas, Venezuela
When Benito Mussolini seized control of Libya in 1922, he set out to put Libya firmly under Italian colonial control. Ever since the Ottoman Empire lost the North African province with the defeat in the First World War, Italy treated the Tripolitanian Republic in the west, and Cyrenaica -- under the leadership of Sheikh Sidi Idris al-Mahdi as-Senussi -- in the east, as dependencies, negotiating concessions for Italian businesses and settlers, and gradually extending influence and power. Mussolini however wanted total control, and ordered a Pacification Campaign to crush Libyan autonomy.
From 1922 until 1931 Omar al-Mukhtar Muhammad bin Farhat al-Manifi led the anti-colonial resistance in Cyrenaica. A Bedouin teacher of the Quran, Omar al-Mukhtar employed guerrilla desert warfare tactics, hitting Italian outposts and supply lines with small groups of fighters that would strike and quickly dissappear into the desert. Even his enemies had to respect his skill, and one Italian General praised his "exceptional perseverance and strong will power".
In 1929, having failed to defeat Mukhtar's resistance, the Italians tried to negotiate a peace settlement with him. Eventually negotiations broke down, though, and the Lion of the Desert fought off a massive Italian offensive. Mussolini then authorized internment of 100,000 civilians from Jebel Akhdar in concentration camps along the coast, and closed the border with Egypt preventing the mujahidin from being supplied both from the local population and the Ummah abroad.
Despite a lack of supplies and an extensive aerial bombardment campaign, Mukhtar held out until September 11, 1931, when he was ambushed near Slonta and captured by the Italians. He was quickly tried, sentenced to death, and hanged on September 16, five days later.
Mukhtar's Senussi rebels went on to provide assistance to the British and Americans during the Second World War, and their martyred leader has been a symbol of Muslim anti-colonial resistance ever since.
"We do not surrender -- we win or we die. As for me, I will live longer than my hangman."
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from Islam https://ift.tt/3ikJSVY
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