The United State of Africa: Decoding Muamar Gaddafi’s radical ideologies

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For most of the Africans, the name Muamar Gaddafi awakens a sense of bemusement yet nostalgic euphoria about African patriotic spirit. From history and records, Gaddafi is a dreamer.

 In the eyes of many observers around the world, the Libyan born Gaddafi remains enigmatic. Many westerners conceive Gaddafi simply as a rebel, islamo- fascist, stubborn; anti Euro-Americanism whose radical ideologies equal Fidel Castro of Cuba. Thus everyone who is current with the world event knows that Gaddafi enjoys but a negative and miniature popularity in the west. 

But still, for many Africans, the questions surrounding Gaddafi remains bleak. As one of the strong minds of the Pan Africanism of the post colonial epoch still surviving, Gaddafi enjoys lots of attentions in the African continent. In the most recent times, he had categorically stated in the open his visions for the Africans. His dreams for Africa hinges of the unification of all African countries into a single central government. He had stood formidably in putting this motion forward. But the question remains; are the African countries turning away from such a proposal?

 

In Gaddafi’s point of view, Africa divided in single states and facing humongous and pathetic quandaries would not be able to face the enormous force of globalization in this jet age. In this respect, his maxim seems to be ‘united we stand; divided we fall’. Invoking the socio-economic and political issues facing Africa, Gaddafi had tried to persuade Africans to embrace a single continental government as the way to a new dawn.

 

As impressive as this ideology may sounds, it cannot be allowed to pass untouched by the sledge hammer of critical evaluations by many Africans. Because the mind is inaccessible; it is necessary for a presumptive attempt to try and decode the mind of Gaddafi in his philosophy of Afro patriotism and continental unification.

 

Looking back from records, Muamar Gaddafi is a radical revolutionist. And why his case should interest lots of Africans revolves around the fact that he is a stanch Islamic socialist. In his revolutionary book titled Green Book, one sees Arab nationalistic tendencies standing prominent.  As an Arab decent, he is pan Islamist who defends the fact that Arabs ought to be linguistically, culturally, politically, ideologically, socially and economically blended for a historic survival. He had advocated pan Islamism as a way to Arab unification and socio-cultural strengthening. This call for a single Arab nation undoubtedly presupposes an imposition of Islamic morals and ethos. From history, this had been Muamar Gaddafi’s stand.

 

Is Africa really ready for his revolutionary thinking regarding a continental government especially when the agenda is been pushed forward by a Pan Arabism and Islamic socialist? I guess there is a need for a second thought here. What would be the implication of ethno-cultural inheritances of the diverse African group across the continent should a continental unification becomes imminent? We have witnessed in Africa, the continued tribal domination of the lesser ethnic groups and the prevalent conflicts. How will Africans react to this Gaddafian ideological proponent? Does Gaddafi have Islamic revolution behind his proposed thesis? This calls for a critical evaluation. What is the agenda behind such hypothesis?  We do not want a situation in which cultural, religious, national or ethnic chauvinist subject an entire continent into a one-way traffic form of socio-cultural, economic and political existence.

 

Africa should ask Gaddafi if he had postulated a socio-political and economic theory on the unification of Africa under a single government. Gaddafi had threatened that if Africa turns her back to his proposal, he would turn the face of his country Libya with its enormous resourceful opportunities away form the continent toward the Arab nations. As a radical revolutionist, Gaddafi should give Africa a chance to understudy the impulse behind his ideologies before submitting to it dictates.  As a dreamer, he should go ahead and dream but he must have the patient to wait for a critical interpretation of his dreams before embracing it or declining it. He is not alone in that trend of ideology. Kwame Nkrumah conceived Africa in similar lens too when he called for a Unite State of Africa. Having said this, it is good to note that while many people are on the ‘yes’ side; a lot more are on the ‘no’ side. At this juncture, we all need more time to think.

 

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