Building a nation is done with love

After three years and five governments attempting to transition to democracy in Libya, the country is now being destroyed bit by bit at the hands of militias and gunmen. There is ceaseless gunfire, killings, assault and destruction in the East and the West and the consequences are borne by innocent Libyans, the women, children and men who are living in devastating fear and insecurity in their own homeland. 

Many hundreds of families have been displaced in the country because of the ongoing clashes and the humanitarian situation is worsening throughout the country; food supplies, medicine, petroleum and provisions are desperately scarce. The airport in Tripoli is closed and several aircraft have been destroyed or damaged in   clashes amongst the rival militias. Most of the shops and banks are closed and destroyed and the unrest is escalating in order to gain influence over regions and political fractions. 

 Egyptians and Tunisians are waiting to be evacuated without having eaten for five or six days. There is simply nobody to provide them food.  There are even violent clashes between Libyan border guards and hundreds of foreigners that are trying to flee the country. Western nations have mostly pulled their diplomats out of the North African country due to the fighting.

In short, these are all signs showing that violence or fighting only brings greater destruction to people. Security is lost when militias and armed groups turn out into the streets with uncontrolled weaponry in their hands. Buildings, airports and bridges that have been constructed with years of efforts are demolished for reasons of hostility between certain political fractions. Politicians, intellectuals and religious figures are abducted by militiamen and people walk around scared, no longer safe on the streets. Assassinations are frequently reported and the Libyan people are confronted with a fierce battle that only leads to more pain, anguish and despair. 

Libya is actually another example showing humanity that enmity only begets enmity and the only way out of this blind alley is with the way of love and forgiveness. There are so many good reasons why the members of a nation should have profound love for one another. The people of Libya have passed through years of difficulties and oppression under an autocratic ruler, and they have been forced to follow ruthless practices imposed on them for years. The families and tribes were discriminated against on the basis of political power plays and thus were made to turn against one another. 

Now, it is time to put an end to all the past rivalries, and start anew with love by seeing Libya as a nation, built with a richness of tribes of Arabs, Berbers, Tubus, Tuaregs and immigrants, all of whom have made their own contributions to Libya as a whole. They have woven the history of this nation together and enjoyed the blessings of this land for years. All are equal owners of Libya as a country and have strong reasons to embrace one another with love and stand together as a nation. It is only the Libyan people who will come out of this turmoil with a solid determination for a peaceful future. No external force that would only seek to rain bombs on an already devastated land will benefit the country. 

When every person living in Libya sets his mind toward love and affection for the entire nation, this will generate the power of goodness for overcoming all the issues lying ahead. This strong willpower of the entire people of Libya as a nation will bring about the necessary efforts to establish harmony between all the ethnic groups, with people knowing that all are created by God equally and the only superiority is with one’s good morality. The attributes of a healthy society, such as friendship, cooperation, cultural interaction, international relations and social integration will be the grounds for rebuilding the country to make great progress in the areas of science, architecture, arts, music and education.