The journey of Abdulhakim Al-Hassadi, one of the most important Islamic leaders in Derna – eastern Libya – follows a winding road.  He spent five years fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan, he was a commander in the Abu Slim Martyrs Brigade, which fought forces loyal to Gaddafi during the revolution last year, and he is also a survivor of Gaddafi’s dark prisons. Now, Al-Hassadi is venturing into politics.  He believes Sharia should be the only law governing Libya, yet he condemned the recent attack of the United States Embassy in Benghazi.

 

The journey of Abdulhakim Al-Hassadi, one of the most important Islamic leaders in Derna – eastern Libya – follows a winding road.  He spent five years fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan, he was a commander in the Abu Slim Martyrs Brigade, which fought forces loyal to Gaddafi during the revolution last year, and he is also a survivor of Gaddafi’s dark prisons. Now, Al-Hassadi is venturing into politics.  He believes Sharia should be the only law governing Libya, yet he condemned the recent attack of the United States Embassy in Benghazi.

 

Mr. Al-Hassadi, what do you think of the Libyan political landscape?

After electing the members of the General National Conference (GNC), we hope they will adhere to Islam, for we are Muslims first and then Libyans. The national interest should come first on their priority list, and they shouldn’t talk about their privileges or salaries, like what happened in the first session when members demanded that their salaries equalled the prime minister’s, next to other privileges such as cars and luxurious apartments. If that were the case, they would disappoint people and lead Libya to hell.

Do you mean the GNC members have no right to these privileges?

In Islam, the position is a responsibility rather than an honour. GNC members are not better than Abu Bakr, Umar, the other caliphs or companions of the Prophet Muhammad. They all were less than average people financially, and some of them were even amongst the poorest.

Therefore, we call on the revered members to be like the average people who have selected them to feel their suffering and not to demand substantial sums of money, which would bring us back to a rich ruling elite and a poor majority that lacks the basics of life. Those who demand this are unpatriotic.

Don’t you think the ‘Sharia law’, which you always advocate, is taken for granted in Libya since its people practice one religion and belong to one sect?

It may be taken for granted for people at large but for some politicians, it isn’t. For instance, Mr. Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, the GNC vice chairman whose tenure has ended, said strange things on a TV channel about religion and how it should be separated from politics. It is really reprehensible for us because through Islam, God explains all the needed details including the rule and politics, which are life basics.

I always say that if Sharia weren’t to be applied in Libya, the country would not enjoy stability because some think it is their duty to enforce it even through the use of force. Even though I disagree with them, but they are out there, and people also wouldn’t accept anything other than the Sharia law. The issue is essential and sensitive and shouldn’t be meddled with.

With so many intellectual schools and currents in Islam, what is, in your opinion, the best way to control ‘Sharia law’ in Libya?

Sharia doesn’t mean just performing prayers and giving Zakat (charity); Sharia law in daily life is religiously more important and touches Muslims’ creed. Unfortunately, most people don’t know this fact and limit Sharia to applying penalties when, in fact, they only represent 10% of Sharia.  

As for how to control the issue, it is clear in the holy Quran and the Sunnah. As for the other opinion matters, we accept what the Libyan and even non-Libyan scholars agree on.

Your approach in dealing with the National Force Alliance (NFA) led by Dr. Mahmoud Jebril has been different from the approach of most of the other Islamic current members. How do you explain this? And are you a member of NFA?    

Firstly, I am not a member of NFA as has been mistakenly rumored. As for my opinion about Dr. Jebril, I only said the truth; he has good intentions and has opened his arms to all and excluded none. The reason of the campaign against him, especially by the Muslim Brotherhood, is that he is the only obstacle in their way to power, so they spread rumors and many unfounded accusations against him, including being a secular.

As a Muslim, I believe what I see rather than what somebody hides. Jebril says he wouldn’t exclude Sharia so I will deal with him accordingly until the opposite is proven. Even the accusation that he is two-faced, one used inside Libya and the other outside, it hasn’t been proven. We are required to choose the best for Libya, and he who doesn’t accept God’s Sharia is a disbeliever and Libyans should be wary of him.    

How do you describe the attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi, which led to the death of the ambassador, Christopher Stevens?

Firstly, I strongly condemn the anti-prophet film regardless of its source. We are ready to sacrifice ourselves for the Prophet’s sake. However, I condemn the murder of the ambassador; he helped us during the revolution and afterwards. The perpetrators should be punished whoever they are. Besides, the film producer is a Coptic Egyptian, so the ambassador or his country is not to be blamed.

Do you think Al-Qaeda exists in Libya?

Al-Qaeda as an organized group with an identified leadership has no presence in Libya but there might be some young people who bear its thought, the Jihadi Salafist thought, in a sense that they are zealots and sometimes raise the black flags or try to apply Sharia in its limited concept. It is more useful to talk with them because they love their religion and country, and we should exploit their efforts in the public interest through incorporating them in the state apparatus and supporting them and all the Libyan youth.   

How do you answer those who always link Derna with Al-Qaeda?

Derna is a neglected city and no official has taken notice of it. It has no police or army because the state doesn’t want that. I personally talked with them and said “set conditions and standards which are compatible with the holy Quran and the Sunnah for the police and the army, and give the city some money and we will do the rest and protect it”. The city’s people are good-hearted and love Jihad. As I mentioned, there is no Al-Qaeda in Derna or in any other Libyan city.     

What do you think about the recent destruction of shrines and graveyards?

I am in favour of the fatwa of the Fatwa House, which was issued by the Mufti, Al-Sheikh Sadeq Al-Gharyani, and I agree on removing this ‘abomination’ that is incompatible with Sharia but it should be first destroyed in people’s hearts then physically, by officials, lest chaos should happen and we repeat our mistakes.

The delay, slowness and negligence of the government or the GNC officials to decide on the matter, gave zealots and hasty youth an opportunity to do what they did.