Thriving Libyan Community in North London Enjoys Ramadan 14/08/2012 16:16:00
Libyan men meet socially during Ramadan in North London to pass the time. Inset: Mufatah Abd El Samad, planning to lobby the government in Libya to give one of former Libyan leader son's houses in London as a base
By Karen Dabrowska (The Tripoli Post UK Correspondent)
Every Saturday during Ramadan London’s Libyan community has been hiring the Pakistani mosque and community centre in Willesden Green, North London for iftar, prayers and meetings.
To the great delight of the women, the men arrived early to prepare the food: dates, milk, sweets, and salad, followed by soup and generous helpings of rice and meat. The young men enjoyed a game of table tennis before and after prayers while the older men joked as they sat outside the prayer room on the warm summer evening.
The liberation of Libya was never far from their minds as they raised their hands in the victory salute and smiled with great pride remembering the ousting out Gaddafi and the liberation of their country.
The women spoke about the summary execution of Gaddafi opponents as they sat around two large tables. Chips from MacDonalds supplemented the Middle Eastern delicacies. But prayers and iftar were not just a Libyan affair. A sister from Morocco was welcome as were sisters from the Caribbean and Muslims from other countries living in North London.
Ibtissam who works for the Libyan embassy compiling statistics about the numbers of Libyans in Britain and is planning to return home, is concerned that while the community was very active demonstrating before Gaddafi was ousted complacency is now setting in.
“The people who were demonstrating since the beginning of the February 17 revolution stopped being engaged. This is a very negative point from the community in London. They stopped giving their opinion. Corruption is still there. A lot of people are returning to Libya and are getting involved with the new congress. They are very happy to rebuild our country.”
The thousand strong Libyan community in North London is waiting for its community centre and Mufatah Abd El Samad is planning to lobby the government in Libya to give it one of Gaddafi children’s houses to use as a base. “I am fighting hard for this. You will not believe how many people I had to see but I am going to do it in the end, hopefully.”
El Samad, who has been in the opposition since the 1970s, is very critical of the staff at the Libyan embassy. “There is a lack of organisation, a lack of commitment. They say they are volunteers, they are not taking wages. That is rubbish. They are making money out of the flats they rent for the those injured in the revolution who come to London for treatment.
They say the rent is £1800 a week but the rent is £700. We need a Libyan judge to come over and see what is happening in the embassy. The wrong doings. By international law the British can do nothing. Maybe I will contact the Serious Fraud office.”
Nearly all the Libyans in North London are refugees and the community dates back 30 years. The atmosphere in the mosque is friendly and fraternal with a sense of togetherness and looking forward to making a contribution to the new Libya.
There is excitement that one of the community members who has not seen his country for more than 20 years, left for Libya the night before. Many Libyans would like to visit or return home but are remaining in Britain for the sake of their children’s education. For others Britain has become their first home and Libya is a second home.
The large gatherings, open and frank discussions and the joy of being together as one Libyan family is a recent development. Before the revolution the meetings of the Libyan Social and Cultural Association in North London were a small, secretive affair. Gaddafi’s agents were active in London and newcomers were treated with mistrust and suspicion. Association members were surprised when hundreds of Libyans started coming out of the woods once Gaddafi was gone.
“We thought the Libyan community was just a hundred people. But there are thousands of Libyan people living in London. We do not know them because they were scared to be part of the community.
“They wanted to travel to Libya and they did not want to be involved with Libyans who had been in London for a long time and had a political reason to stay in this country. After the revolution everyone is coming to socialise, Osama Ramli one of the association’s volunteers told The Tripoli Post.
“Before the people did not trust each other,” another volunteer who likes to keep a low profile said. “If I didn’t know someone’s history I would not make friends with him or take them to my house but now we are free. I can trust anyone.”
He described how he started to engage with Libyan students on government scholarships and attended two of their meetings after the revolution started. “We had to give them a true picture about was going on. We are one people, one family, “he emphasised. “There is no one who supports Gaddafi - we are family now.”
The community in North London is willing to accept former Gaddafi supporters as long as they have had a genuine change of heart. But community members emphasise that in Libya those guilty of crimes against the people have to be tried.
“Those who were active in Gaddafi’s time should stay at home, they should not remain in their posts as managers. That is why they are being killed. They did horrible things to my family. They killed my brother. Bring them to court and if they are innocent release them. But the government doesn’t take them to court. This delay is making the people crazy, that is why they are killed,” Ramli explained.
Despite the problems, there is a feeling of optimism about Libya’s future in the north London community along with an understanding that a genuine democracy will take a long time to develop as Gaddafi destroyed all institutions and instilled fear and suspicion in the hearts of the people. Some of the community members are not completely satisfied with the elections as they believe people voted along tribal lines.
The cool breeze of the pleasant London evening is welcome after the 18 hour fast and the hot sun. After the last cups of tea it is time for the final prayer of the day.
The Libyan family in north London is looking forward to many more meetings and discussions and to its own community centre. The days of fear and mistrust are a memory. The future is bright. The victory signs and the genuine smiles bode well for the new dawn in London.
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Thriving Libyan Community in North London Enjoys Ramadan Every Saturday during Ramadan London’s Libyan community has been hiring the Pakistani mosque and community centre in Willesden Green, North London for iftar, prayers and meetings. The young men enjoy a game of table tennis before and after prayers while the older men joked as they sat outside the prayer room on the warm summer evening.
