Intellectual terrorism has long been a key component of totalitarian regimes; it is a bridge between dreamy romanticism and oppressive despotism. However, intellectual terrorism can only be enlarged with an intellectual project put forth by the totalitarian regime as an indispensable solution.

Intellectual terrorism has long been a key component of totalitarian regimes; it is a bridge between dreamy romanticism and oppressive despotism. However, intellectual terrorism can only be enlarged with an intellectual project put forth by the totalitarian regime as an indispensable solution.

There are many examples in this regard: from the communist dream to totalitarian regimes; from the aspirations of socialist workers to Nazism tyranny; from the beautiful rhetoric of the nationalist Baathists to autocracy; and from the dreams of the Iranian revolution to the overthrow of the Shah and to the guardianship of the religious jurisprudent. Within these pages of political history lies the suffering of peoples.

Reverse Darwanism

Gaddafi strictly stuck to this reverse Darwinism; the biography of these regimes has long transformed from a human dream to a brutish reality. Gaddafi moved from the socialist nationalism to what he called the Third Universal Theory, which represented the “ultimate solution” to humanity. Accordingly, he paved the way for political tyranny based on intellectual terrorism. According to him, “partisanship is treason” and whoever believed in a solution other than the Third Universal Theory would be hanged in public.

Set up by Gaddafi in the first years after taking over, the Third Universal Theory granted him another advantage to his colleagues in the Revolution Command Council. True, they led the coup of 1969 together, yet it was Gaddafi who set up the theory and since it became the basis of governance, he alone became the reference of power and legislation. In the end, the author has the right to explain, quote and erase the text whenever he wishes.

Gaddafi thus managed to have an advantage over all those regimes by adding new filters focusing power in his person. He became Libya’s fate, its past that had nothing but him, its present that no one but him, and its future, which only God knew.

Can fate die?

Thousands of Gaddafi’s supporters or those involved with him didn’t comprehend the shock of his death, so they circulated many stories, most of which said that he didn’t die, or that he will return to life!

One of these stories, for example, says that Gaddafi wasn’t killed, but it was made to appear to them (us), and that the photos of his death were fabricated!

A second story admits he had died, but his supporters and noble disciples, who fought the Qatar-led crusaders aggression, gave Gaddafi a multi-million dollar injection in the desert. It is right he didn’t revive, but his leg moved, which means there is hope that he would resurrect to lead the resistance against his people who loved him, but eventually killed him. These undutiful people have then turned from the worship of a man to the path of delusion, the devolution of power.

I’m not ridiculing, I’m just wondering. Why don’t they admit that Gaddafi’s death is ultimate, certain and well documented? Why do they insist on using myth and making us laugh?

The Gaddafi Doctrine

Gaddafi reduced Libya to his self, and his death was never expected in Libya. He had been subject to dozens of unsuccessful assassination attempts: he survived the American bombing, and when one of those recruited by the British intelligence, according to the regime story, threw a grenade at him in 1996, it didn’t explode and Gaddafi kicked it smiling, in a theatrical scene that promoted a mind state emphasizing his impossible assassination.

In fact, there were so many assassination attempts, but the dissidents’ stories reveal that some of those attempts were fabricated by Gaddafi himself, to create rationale to his entourage to neutralize officers with the accusation of plotting to assassinate him. At the same time, these stories dispelled the hopes of those aspiring to kill him and removed such a possibility from their imagination.

Even though Gaddafi had major health crises, his regime was keen on underestimating them when leaked to the media.  Moreover, Gaddafi was never ageing even though his skin sagged quickly due to genetic and perhaps environmental factors. The leader used Botox for wrinkles and dyed his hair on a regular basis. Therefore, there was no need to take any measure to transfer power in Libya because there was no vacant ruling seat; rather, there was an immortal man available for all seats.

The idea of Gaddafi’s death or assassination was eradicated from the collective state of mind, and his presence went beyond the theoretical legislation framework of the form of state and became a symbol of individual stardom. He was an intellect, writer, storyteller, poet, engineer and fashion model. But his supporters’ denial of his absence also made him a myth.

A bit of truth in every joke

Here is an amusing and fortunately a very short story: Tamouh, a friend of mine, was staying in an apartment in Bab Bin Ghashir in Tripoli. One morning in 2006, he jumped out of bed hearing his friends knocking fiercely on the door and shouting “Open Tamouh! Open!” Tamouh opened the door asking “What is it?” “Muammar has died, Tamouh!” they answered, “Muammar has died!”.

There was silence, then his friends burst into laughter. It had been a practical joke. But Tamouh replied with signs of happiness on his face “You have made me live a wonderful moment that you may not have the opportunity to live it.

Tamouh lives this truth today, but unfortunately others still clutch to myth as their last straw. But eventually they will be uncertain and wonder, hlas Gaddafi died?