Cultural Revolution in Libya

Cultural Revolution in Libya
DurationApril 15, 1973 – March 2, 1977 (1973-04-15 – 1977-03-02) (3 years and 321 days)
LocationLibya
MotiveReturn to Arab and Islamic values and purge the communist,[1] imperialist, atheist and ikhwani elements from the revolution.
Organized byMuammar al-Gaddafi
Outcome
  • Islamization of Libyan society
  • Violent purges in the universities and administrations
  • Arabization of Libya
  • Establishment of the Jamahiriya.
DeathsExact number not known
This article is part of
a series about
Muammar Gaddafi
Personal
Affiliations
Libya under Muammar Gaddafi
Military (Armed Forces)
Leadership (History)
Elections and referendums
Muammar Gaddafi's signature

The Cultural Revolution (or People's Revolution) in Libya was a nearly four-year period of political and social change in Libya. It started with Muammar Gaddafi's declaration of a cultural revolution during a speech in Zuwara on 15 April 1973.[2] This came after increasing tensions between Gaddafi and his colleagues in the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) had led him to agree to step down. Gaddafi had told the RCC that he would announce his resignation to the people during his Zuwara speech, but he instead surprised them with his declaration of the Cultural Revolution. By the end of the Cultural Revolution period, Gaddafi was the uncontested leader of Libya.

The Cultural Revolution continued to at least September 1974, when the independence of action of the People's Committees was reduced by the national leadership in the Revolutionary Command Council. In a wider sense, it came to its conclusion in the establishment of Gaddafi's "state of the masses" ("jamahiriya") in 1977.

The Cultural Revolution was presented as a period of democratization, a return to Arab and Islamic values and spontaneous popular mobilization against five identified threats to the power of the people: communism,[3] conservatism, capitalism, atheism, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

In practice the Cultural Revolution marked the beginning of the sidelining of other Libyan political and religious leaders and the concentration of power in Gaddafi.

  1. ^ Times, Henry Tanner Special to The New York (1973-05-22). "Tough Libyan 'Cultural Revolution' Stresses Merger With Egypt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  2. ^ Obeidi, Amal S. M.; Obeidi, Amal (2013-09-05). Political Culture in Libya. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-136-11586-8.
  3. ^ Times, Henry Tanner Special to The New York (1973-05-22). "Tough Libyan 'Cultural Revolution' Stresses Merger With Egypt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-23.