This piece, appearing in yesterday’s New York Times, is essential for anyone trying to imagine the human dimension of Libyan experience. "Mohammed Al-Asfar’s writing has been described as an expression of the grief of living under dictatorship. In this way, his work describes the unsaid and unmentionable. His characters are a terrible expression of how coded and ambiguously allegorical art often is forced to become under state censorship" (2). He tells us that his first, second, third novels had their source in the trauma of the Abu Salim massacre, on June 29, 1996, when more than 1200 prisoners were executed by machine-gun toting troops under the command of Abdullah Sanussi (al-Qaddafi’s brother-in-law).
What triggered the Libyan protests was the arrest on February 15 of an intrepid and persistent lawyer, Fathi Terbil, whose efforts on behalf of the families of those massacred had angered Muammar al-Qaddafi. What needs more recognition, however, are the four years of protests in Benghazi prior to the those that turned into the current uprising. In these smaller protests--persistently and patiently--families had gathered every Saturday to demand answers: Who had died? Where were the bodies buried? Would the government hold anyone responsible? Would the perpetrators be punished? Patient but no longer passive, these protesters prepared the way for an uprising that has turned into an incipient civil war (3). Now is the time of action ... and perhaps liberation for all of Libya.
Fathi Terbil’s story, Mohammad al-Asfar’s story, and many others help us to understand the suffering of the Libyan people during the nearly 42 years of Muammar al-Qaddafi’s regime. Such stories may evoke empathy in even the most stubbornly parochial American students, breaking through their indifference to an understanding of what their peers have to endure in lands ruled by tyrants.
Al-Asfar is master of literary craft. Teachers in a language arts or world literature course have an opportunity here to showcase not only the artistry but the commitment of a Libyan author. Bringing al-Asfar’s work into the classroom–while Libya’s future is still so uncertain (tragedy? chaos? democracy?)– will connect current events to the world of literature. In this way students will learn about the relevance and relatedness of literature to the lives of real people.
Two of al-Asfar’s short stories, translated from Arabic into English, are online at Words Without Borders (4). These are very short (only a page or two of printed text), making it easy to insert either or both into the classroom without crowding out other material. They could be added, for example, to a unit focused on short stories (keep them in mind for next year if you can’t use them right now).
For more about Libyan literature (translated into English) go to the Arabic Literature (in English) web site. See its summary of a special issue of the journal Banipal, devoted to Libya authors (https://arablit.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/who-will-you-find-in-banipal-40-libyan-fiction/).
Al-Asfar in the Classroom
ANALYSIS: Print copies of "Libya’s Patient Revolutionaries" and ask students to do a close reading. First toss out a few questions to check on students’ comprehension of the piece. Then divide the class into groups of 3-4 to analyze its rhetoric and structure. What makes it so effective? How do al-Asfar’s writing strategies evoke empathetic response in his readers?
FICTION AS A REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCE: In a literature class assign one or both of al-Asfar’s stories. To appreciate these stories students do not need to read the more difficult "Libya’s Patient Revolutionaries" but the stories do help us to imagine the kind of patience that he writes about in the essay. A teacher can read the essay as part of his/her preparation, then share its theme with students. ASK: Are the characters in the story being patient? How do we know this? Why are they patient? From the author’s tone, can we tell whether he was discouraged or hopeful when he wrote these stories?
COLLABORATE: Team up with a language arts teachers (or a social studies teacher) to assign either "Libya’s Patient Revolutionaries" or one/both of the short stories. Do the writing analysis or read the stories as a break from the usual curriculum in language arts/literature. Then in the social studies class take up events in Libya or in a history class pursue the historical background.
Current Events and Research Skills
References to key events in Libya’s modern history are woven into "Libya’s Patient Revolutionaries." For Mohammad al-Asfar and his family the most personal of these events is the 1996 prison massacre, but he also draws readers’ attention to Libyan resistance to Italian colonialism and its martyr, Omar al-Mukhtar. For nearly twenty years al-Mukhtar fought the Italians, until they captured and hanged him in 1931 (5).
Al-Asfar mentions other events suitable for online research--for which agents of the Libyan government have been held responsible (the disappearance of a prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric in Libya in 1978, the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie in 1988). Given the relevance of the Abu Salim massacre to the current uprising, I’m going to suggest using it as a topic in a lesson designed to develop research and media literacy skills.
Basically, either of two strategies could be followed, depending on time available and students’ present skill level.
OPEN-ENDED/INDEPENDENT WORK: If students are familiar with doing online research, you can send them to Google or another search engine to find out more about the prison massacre. Probably this will be more successful if you first discuss what to type into the search box. IN-CLASS: students search, select and read for part of the class and then report back orally (briefly at the end of class or during the next class). This can be converted to a written homework assignment. If possible students should print-out articles to hand-in so you can check what they say/write against the sources.
STRUCTURED SEARCH EXERCISE: Use a worksheet that requires students to perform specific search and evaluation tasks. Here’s one possibility that begins with a search at the New York Times archive:
1) Use any NYT search box to get started by typing in "abu salim prison libya"; on the results page select "Since 1981" and click search again (for 6 hits but only 5 are relevant):
- #1: "Libya’s Patient Revolutionaries"
- #2 and #3: references to Abu Salim in recent news articles (February 17, 2011; February 18, 2011)
- #4: op-ed essay by Hisham Matar (Feb 5, 2007)
- #5: reference to Abu Salim in article by reporter Anthony Shadid (February 20, 2011)
4) Find out what stories about Libya were covered in the NYT during this same timeframe. Sample the results (first 2-3 pages). List these topics.
5) Click back to the "abu salim libya" results page and change the search to "abu salim libya 1996" and click search (no results); then scroll down to bottom of page and click on "Search the web for abu salim libya 1996"
- This web search brings up several pages of results. The purpose of this task is to point out a very handy feature of the NYT archive.
- These are mostly informative and reliable resources. #1 is the Human Rights Watch report listed in the Resources section of this post.
8) Students WRITE a report based on what they have learned about the Abu Salim massacre. Require a set number of sources (at least three). It is strongly recommended that students explain why they selected these sources (using an annotated bibliography OR footnotes or an short appendix).
Resources for the Abu Salim Prison Massacre
Use these resources for preparation or assign as an alternative to student research. The Lindsey Hilsum video, including interviews with relatives of those killed at Abu Salim and with their lawyer Fathi Terbil, is excellent–for usein any classroom where events in Libya are being discussed.
"Libya: June 1996 Killings at Abu Salim Prison," Human Rights Watch (June 28, 2006). http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2006/06/28/libya-june-1996-killings-abu-salim-prison
- You can download a PDF but this is not necessary: simply click "Read the report" and print.
- Check links at end of report for related content from the National Front for the Salvation of Libya and from Libyan Human Rights Solidarity.
"Libya Urged to Thoroughly Investigate 1996 Mass Prison Killings." Amnesty International (June 29, 2011): http://www.amnestymaroc.org/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95:libya-urged-to-thoroughly-investigate-1996-mass-prison-killings&catid=1:latest-news
Abdurrahman, Najla. "What If Libya Staged a Revolution and Nobody Came?" Foreign Policy (February 17, 2011). http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/02/17/what_if_libya_staged_a_revolution_and_nobody_came
Hilsum, Lindsey. "Meeting the Families Left Behind by Gaddafi’s Prison Massacre." Channel 4 (March 1, 2011): http://blogs.channel4.com/world-news-blog/meeting-the-families-left-behind-by-gaddafis-prison-massacre/15306
- Scroll down to find the video. Access also from Andrew Worthington’s post (where Hilsum’s text is appended).
Matar, Hisham. "Seeing What We Want to See in Qaddafi." New York Times (2-5-2007).
Roth, Kenneth. "Don’t Let Libya Off the Hook." New York Times (1-29-2006).
Worthington, Andrew. "How the Abu Salim Prison Massacre in 1996 Inspired the Revolution in Libya" (March 2, 2011): http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2011/03/02/how-the-abu-salim-prison-massacre-in-1996-inspired-the-revolution-in-libya/
Notes
1) Mohammad al-Asfar. "Libya’s Patient Revolutionaries." New York Times (3-3-2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/opinion/03asfar.html?_r=2&ref=opinion
2) Text for Words Without Borders: http://wordswithoutborders.org/contributor/mohammed-al-asfar/
3) For a detailed account see "Libya: June 1996 Killings at Abu Salim Prison," Human Rights Watch (June 28, 2006). Andrew Worthington argues that the Abu Salim massacre has served as Libya’s "symbolic trigger" in a manner similar to that of Sidi Bouzid’s self-immolation (Tunisia) or the brutal murder of Khaled Said (Egypt). See "How the Abu Salim Prison Massacre in 1996 Inspired the Revolution in Libya" (March 2, 2011): http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2011/03/02/how-the-abu-salim-prison-massacre-in-1996-inspired-the-revolution-in-libya/
4) "Wet Sleeves" and "Mint Flavored Hiccups" are available on the Mohammed al-Asfar page of Words Without Borders: http://wordswithoutborders.org/contributor/mohammed-al-asfar/
5) Italy took Libya from the Ottoman Empire in 1911. Finding it difficult to occupy the country, the Italians used force to "pacify" and unify its three parts (Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and the Fezzan). Al-Muktar’s resistance began in 1912 and continued after the 1920 Treaty of ar-Raima whereby Italy recognized the nominal local authority of the head of the Sanusiyya (a Sufi brotherhood). From 1931 to 1933 the Italians dealt with any residual resistance. In the late 1930s Mussolini sent about 30,000 Italian settlers to Libya. The movie "Lion of the Desert" (1981, starring Anthony Quinn) tells al-Mukhtar’s story. See Joseph A. Kechichian, "Omar Al Mukhtar: The Teacher Turned Freedom Fighter" (http://libyamonitor.blogspot.com/2008/11/omsr-al-mukhtar-teacher-turned-freedom.html); originally part of a longer article in Weekend Review (http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/weekend-review/articles/sceptre-that-yielded-to-dictates-of-intellect-1.40994). For Al-Qaddafi’s appropriation of this national iconic figure see "Colonel Gaddafi Reminds Italy of Arrest of Omar al-Mukhtar." Timesonline (June 11, 2009): http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6474121.ece.
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