Facing a brighter future

JUBILANT Libyans living in Ireland have welcomed the Government’s formal recognition of their rebel-led national council as the official leadership of the country and invited Irish people to help them rebuild their shattered homeland.

Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore yesterday said: “The Libyan National Transitional Council is now the only authority in Libya and I hope they will quickly be able to establish an effective government over the whole country.”

Members of the Libyan community gathered for an informal public celebration at the GPO in Dublin to mark the end of 42 years of dictatorship under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Dr Faheem Bukhatwa, a lecturer at Griffith College, Dublin, and spokesman for the Libyan Community in Ireland, said: “We’re ecstatic, floating over cloud nine, if that’s possible, and if Gaddafi is arrested and tried, that will be the icing on the cake.”

Tawfiq al-Ghazwani, a member of the Libyan national opposition congress, in exile in Ireland for the last 20 years, paid tribute to the many Libyans based in Ireland, some born here, who returned in recent months to fight for liberation.

Husam Najjair, a Dublin-born building contractor, and Mahdi al-Harati, an Irish resident of 20 years who is married to an Irish-born Libyan, both led rebel groups on the final advance to Tripoli.

Mr al-Ghazwani said: “I know their fathers and the fathers of many young men who returned to fight and fair play to them. They know their country’s history and they want to build its future.”

Dr Bukhatwa said the reconstruction of Libya was now foremost in everyone’s minds. “We need to put Gaddafi behind us and look to the future. The means are there — Libya is a very, very rich country — so the physical rebuilding will not take long.

“There is a need for people with expertise, so a lot of Libyan people in Ireland will probably be going home, but I hope they will bring a lot of Irish with them.

“Libya needs roads, communications, hospitals and I hope Irish companies and Irish people will benefit from those opportunities as Irish people have helped us.”