Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Qaddafi’s Flights of Fantasy | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The call for the reestablishment of the Fatimid Caliphate state and the Islamic world’s adoption of the Shia doctrine in support of Ahl al Bayt [the family and descendants of the Prophet Mohammed] by the amusing and laid-back Libyan President, Colonel and leader of the revolution, Muammar al Qaddafi, is a claim that contains some ‘technical’ mistakes that require further accuracy.

First of all, the official and declared doctrine followed by the Fatimid state was the Ismaili doctrine, which was one of the Batinyya sects [an esoteric Islamic Shia sect] of which Hassan-i-Sabbah’s ‘Hashshashin’ or assassins cult appeared whereby the soldiers used to smoke hashish to enable them to undertake assassination operations and jihad while under the influence of drugs.

The belief that following Shiism would support Ahl al Bayt is an erroneous one that has been refuted by many since hundreds of thousands of Ahl al Bayt are Sunnis. But he doesn’t stop there, Qaddafi continued his flights of fantasy by saying, “Medina, peace and blessings be upon the Prophet who is buried there, is not a holy place.” Of course he was faced with his share of rational scholars who refuted this absurdity.

The problem is that all this talk is taken against the Arab world and its members, when in fact it is a personal ijtihad [an independent interpretation] not a collective interpretation made by conservatives or neoconservatives – or even by a radical right wing or a ‘hysterical’ left wing. This is a ready-made product that was amalgamated with pride in Libya to be distributed to the Africans, Red Indians, Khmer Rouge and all those who love hashish. Anyone who watched and followed the famous Libyan leader’s appearance (knowing that textiles are distributed for free in Libya and that the barber’s profession is forbidden) will also realize that people have become submerged in a catatonic state and can no longer distinguish between Qaddafi’s jokes and farce on the one hand and his political and religious statements and views on the other.

Simultaneously, two contradictory speeches were delivered: one by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, in which he contradicted the Arab state and set a plan of action to address the most important and pending issues, while the other was given by the Libyan leader and was dominated by denial and ideas that would only be appropriate in abstract theater and surrealist painting – not in politics, religion or economics.

Libya is a state that has transformed into a laboratory to accommodate the whims and mood swings of the inspired leader and its people have become perplexed about their future and the track they should follow. They have shifted positions from Arab unity to African unity, and from America the enemy to simply ‘America’ and from an Islam to a Qaddafi-esque version of it – and still, the worst is yet to come. It wouldn’t be impossible for all that has been said and done to be the sum of ideas of Adel Imam, Daoud Hussein, Duraid Leham, Hussein Abdel Reda, Nasser al Qasby [famous Arab comedians] or even Shaaban Abdel Rehim, but for this nonsense to be the product of an Arab regime and an Arab president is the real problem and defect. Libya decided to sever its relations with all Arabs and the conferences they hold; I believe the Arabs should reconsider Libya’s position amongst them since the existence of such a system within their structure will defame and disgrace them. As for the Libyan leader’s call for the reestablishment of the Fatimid caliphate, I suggest that he call it the state of Hashashin and its capital can be “al Batinyya” – as for the leader…he is ready and available!