As the conflict between Moamer Kadhafi and Libya's opposition rages on, the country's women are left to decide which side to support.
Women from across western Libya gathered in Tripoli on Sunday (May 22nd) for the National Forum for Libyan Women. The conference was organised to show support for Moamer Kadhafi as he faces increasing international pressure to step down.
"We can only express our respect to the liberator of all women, from everywhere, and ask him to lead us," commented Kadhafi backer Fathiyya Said from al-Wusta. "Tell him that the free women of Libya are supporting you! It is our right as women to give all that we have to protect the revolution and to protect the man who made us a model for the rest of women of the world in terms of freedom and rights."
The meeting at the Rixos Hotel was attended by hundreds of women, including Salma Abdul Jabbar, the Secretary of Women's Affairs at the General People's Congress.
"Kadhafi called us, in a speech, to march toward Misrata and the eastern part of the country to liberate our land and get our sons back. He asked us to make ourselves heard in mosques and public squares," declared Ms Nabila to Magharebia. "Kadhafi asked us to march on them in peaceful demonstrations, and besiege them from all directions, so they can escape only by sea."
But not all Libyan women were ready to voice support for Kadhafi. Ms Leila said that the forum was "a new trick and another method used by the regime. They are lying and falsifying the truth to show that he still has control of the entire territory, but in fact he only controls a quarter of it and is under siege."
"We the free women of Libya will not forget our martyred sons and husbands and how he widowed our sisters and orphaned our sons. What does he still want? We all look forward to his departure, even his daughter and wife left and escaped," she added.
University student Souheir Ali echoed Leila's sentiment. "May he leave or die! The only thing we ask him for is to go away!"
"We will then definitely live in peace and enjoy safety. The free women of Libya are educated, intellectual and creative women. We can't be fooled with such a nullity. It can't fool free women like us," Ali added. "His partisans driven by fear, interest or family ties are not going to save him."
"We have already broken the barrier of fear," she said. "The revolution that we started in February will definitely succeed."
© Magharebia.com 2011
