The Benghazi epic is legendary. It brings to the mind images from heroic feats of Umar Al-Mukhtar fighting the Italian occupation. The features of this unique yet instinctive heroism on the part of Libyans speak of a desire to achieve justice, protect their gain of freedom and their restored dignity, the dignity and pride that Gaddafi and his regime have deprived them of. Gaddafi and his revolutionary committees have oppressed them with endless rounds of imprisoning, torturing, murdering, burying and burning just to terrorize the safe and scourge the families who have lost their sons in Abu Salim and the Italian Embassy massacre years ago.

Gaddafi left nothing unspoiled. Benghazi people remember how he transferred the memorial of Omar Al-Mukhtar from their town to a remote secluded city, as if he wished to erase this great hero from their minds, hearts and memories. The Benghazi people can’t forget how he tracked down their sons in their schools, universities and workplaces. Consequently, there was an accumulation of congestion, feelings of oppression and abhorrence to anything related to Gaddafi. Soon enough, the Benghazi people declared that they reject having the likes of the revolutionary committees and its institutions, such as the Green Book Research Center and headquarters of the security bodies that took to arresting and torturing freedom of opinion, thought and expression activists. It was natural thus for the Benghazi people to burn and destroy these institutions, voicing what they were hushed about for years.

Benghazi is no longer the same city and will never be. It is a city that still shapes the feats of an epic in Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad. In Benghazi you hear legendary tales about youth who sold their mobile phones and cars to buy arms and contribute to the revolution. You learn about a bereft father whose son met martyrdom in the Katiba battle two weeks ago. He sends his two sons to the front in Ras Lanuf and he walks among the crowd his head up high, with unmatched pride.

You hear and see a lady who sold her gold to buy her son a weapon that he could use in freeing the sands of Libya from the “usurper and oppressor”—her description of Gaddafi. These heroic feats are but the beginnings on the path to free souls to follow freeing the land. Why should we be surprised by this prowess when the sons of Benghazi have confronted the anti-aircraft missiles and heavy machine guns with their bare chests? The sons of Benghazi, waking up to the sounds of live ammunition that targeted heads, necks, chests and bellies, announced to the world that they have triumphed for their freedom without arms, without outside support and without foreign interference.

On my first day in Libya, I was appalled by the photos of heroic officers and noncommissioned officers. The criminal Abdullah Al Sanosi burnt them because they refused to fire their guns at the defenseless sons of Benghazi. These heroes have set a model for martyrdom in defense of the supreme humane ethical values. Rejecting the orders to kill protesters drove the criminal to make them a warning example for anyone who would abstain from carrying out his orders. But, did this weaken the stamina of officers who refrained from taking part in this massacre? No. Again, more officers refused to fire their guns at the defenseless civilians. And his response was tying them and confining them to a cellar under the floor of the battalion base, to be found by the rebels who broke in the battalion base 2 days later. They have had no food or water for days and were in deplorable condition. Some of them had passed away and others were carried to the hospital on the verge of dying.

The sons of Benghazi were not intimidated by goons and mercenaries who aimed heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft missiles that split some of their bodies into halves. Instead, they were urged to finish their battles against the battalion with fire and iron, achieving a super heroic victory. Al-Mahdi Zeyo was the one to announce the victory by blowing himself and his car at the entrance of the battalion base with locally manufactured explosives that are used in fishing.
In the hospital, I was honored to meet one of these superheroes. He is a Libyan security officer who dismissed the order, and went on to set the airport military buildings to flames in cooperation with a colleague, an officer as well. He suffered severe burns in the face, neck and extremities, whereas his friend met martyrdom. Why did you set the airport buildings on fire? I asked. He replied, “We were afraid the tyrant might use it to shell Benghazi.”

“Dad, forgive me. My brother and I sold the car to buy ammunition to free Libya. My brother met martyrdom today.” I was a witness to this phone call, to which the bereft dad’s reply came: “your brother is in Paradise. It’s me who owes you an apology.” Tears fell from eyes.

by . Dr. Hamza mousa
Translated by Radwa ElShami
Thanks for Ghada Kandil

Arabic version : published at : Dostor newspaper in Egypt