10 Strange and Fascinating Truths About Libyan Society

10 Strange and Fascinating Truths About Libyan Society

Libya, a country situated on the northern coast of Africa, is more often than not thought of through the narrow and turbulent lens of its recent political history. Yet, beneath the headlines of conflict and oil lies a society of immense complexity, resilience, and peculiar traditions. Libyan culture is the rich tapestry woven from ancient Berber threads, Arab-Islamic influences, the unique legacy of Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, and the unwavering codes of the desert. To understand Libya, one truly has to look beyond the politics into the everyday social fabric. Here are ten aspects of Libyan society that may seem strange to outsiders but are fundamental to its identity.

#### 1. The Revolutionary Committees: The "Volunteer" Ideological Police

One of the oddest and most pervasive social structures during Gaddafi's era was the system of Revolutionary Committees (*لجان ثورية*). These were not state organs, but parallel networks of fervent loyalists serving as the ideological enforcers of Gaddafi's "Third International Theory." They existed in every university, government office, and neighborhood. They were supposed to monitor dissent, promote the philosophy of the Green Book, and "protect the revolution." The result was a society in which your colleague, classmate, or neighbor might be an informant-a deep-seated culture of caution and mistrust that, in so many ways, outlasted the regime itself. It was grassroots totalitarianism, really, that deeply altered the social contract.

#### 2. The "People's Committees" and the Abolition of Formal Government

Consistent with his Green Book, Gaddafi proclaimed Libya a "state of the masses" (*Jamahiriya*), and therefore it had "no government." The ministries were eliminated and replaced by "People's Committees." In theory, every institution—from schools and hospitals to oil companies—was to be self-managed by committees elected by its members. In practice, this was a chaotic and often corrupt system that centralized power while creating a facade of direct democracy. The strangeness lay in the cognitive dissonance: a country with all the functions of a state claiming to have no state apparatus, a society navigating a bureaucratic maze that officially did not exist.

#### 3. The Desert "Izba": The Weekend Getaway That is a Fortified Farm

For many urban Libyans, it is not the beach house but an *ʿIzba* (عزبة), or a walled agricultural estate in the desert, which is the ultimate expression of success and relaxation. The Libyan country house is not a rustic hut or cabin. Sometimes, these are fortified self-sufficient compounds with their own wells and generators, fruit orchards, and animals. On weekends and holidays, urban families flee to their *ʿIzba* to reconnect with nature, host large gatherings, and find a sense of privacy and security. It is a tradition that reveals an intense, almost atavistic, yearning for the land and a Bedouin past, as well as pragmatic thinking brought about by uncertainty and insecurity in the towns and cities.

#### 4. The World's Largest Irrigation System is. a Libyan Secret

Under the Libyan Desert is the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, one of the largest fossil water aquifers anywhere in the world. Gaddafi's regime kick-started the "Great Man-Made River"-a $25 billion effort to transport this ancient water to the coastal cities via a network of giant pipes buried deep underground. Two aspects make this strange: the sheer size of this deeply buried, hidden system of rivers and the fact that most of the funding has been provided by Libya while the people of this country were under international sanctions. It still continues to be one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever attempted, a hidden lifeline for the nation.

#### 5. The "Bisha" Ritual: Trial by Ordeal as a Social Tool

In what seems to be a practice lifted from the Middle Ages, some Libyan tribes-particularly in the south-have been known to revert to a traditional oath-swearing ritual called *Bisha'a* (*البشعة*) whenever there is no witness or evidence to solve a dispute. The accused is made to lick a hot metal spoon or rod three times. If their tongue is burned, they are guilty; if not, they are innocent. While officially banned and increasingly rare, its persistence underlines how customary law (*‘Urf*) can wield immense power over state law. The mere threat of a *Bisha'a* is often enough to persuade a person to confess or settle out of court, a testament to how ancient tribal justice can coexist and even rival the modern legal system.

#### 6. The Toyota Hilux as a National Symbol of Power In Libya, the Toyota Hilux pickup truck is more than just a vehicle; it's a cultural and political icon. Its robustness and capability on the road off the tarmac make it tailored for the desert environment. Its strangeness lies in its dual identity: the standard workhorse for farmers and merchants on the one hand, but also, when mounted with a heavy machine gun (a "technical"), it is the primary unit of military power for militias on the other. The same car that carries a family on a picnic one day could be transformed into a weapon of war the next. It thus comes to symbolize the blurred lines between civilian and combatant, peace and conflict, which define modern Libya. #### 7. The "Fuloul" and "Thuwar" Social Schism A new and deeply impactful social label emerged in the wake of the revolution: *Fuloul* (*فلول*), meaning "remnants." It has become a stigmatizing term applied to anyone seen to have been associated with or to have benefited from the former Gaddafi regime, potentially barring the individual and their family from public office, jobs, and social acceptance. On the other side, *Thuwar* (*ثوار*) means "revolutionaries"-those who fought against Gaddafi, and it is a title that bestows a good deal of social and political capital. This binary classification, often applied very arbitrarily, has created a new, unspoken social hierarchy and another deep-seated source of tension and vendetta. 8. The culture of "Istikhara" before major decisions While common in the Muslim world, a prayer for divine guidance before making a decision, *Istikhara* (*استخارة*), holds a particularly weighty place in Libyan society. It would not be out of the ordinary for Libyans to perform *Istikhara* regarding marriage, business ventures, or as mundane as taking up a new job or even going on a long trip. Deeply held is the belief that through dreams, signs, or just having an ease about it, that "right" path will be made clear. This deep-seated religiosity imbues one with a framework by which to navigate such uncertain and often chaotic reality. #### 9. The "Mukhabarat" State of Mind For decades, the *Mukhabarat*, or secret police, were the omnipresent, invisible hand of the state. Their legacy is not only a history of repression but a lasting "Mukhabarat state of mind." This shows in pervasive reluctance to speak open about politics on the phone, in cafes, or even within one's own home. Trust is earned slowly, and conversations are often guarded. This learned caution, a survival mechanism from the Gaddafi era, continues to shape social interaction, making genuine public discourse a fragile and developing concept. #### 10. The "Zawia" as a Social, Spiritual, and Military Hub The term *Zawia* زاوية originally referred to a Sufi religious lodge or school. These have long served as centers of communal life, learning, and spirituality throughout Libya. It is in their transformation that their modern strangeness lies: many *Zawaya*, especially those attached to powerful Sufi orders, have become fortified hubs of social and political life. They may provide neutral grounds for tribal reconciliation, storehouses of ancient manuscripts, and bases for armed groups mobilized on lines of religion and community in times of conflict. It is in the *Zawia*, then, that one finds a repository of the amalgamation of faith, community, and power that underlies much of Libyan society. In summary, these ten points illustrate that Libyan society is a world of intricate codes and stark contrasts: where the desert's law can override that of the state; where the pickup truck is both a symbol of daily life and war; and where the psychological scars of yesterday determine today's social behavior. The "strangeness" is an adaptation to this peculiar set of historical, geographical, and political circumstances that makes logical sense, albeit a complex one. To understand Libya is to understand a people treading the tightrope between tribe and state, tradition and modernity, on a land of superabundant riches and deep challenges.