Today marks 90 years since the execution of the Sheikh of Libyan Jihad, Omar Al-Mukhtar, at the hands of the Italian occupation in the town of Suluq.
On September 16, 1931; Omar Al-Mukhtar was dangled from the gallows to fall as a lifeless body, giving his soul for the sake of his homeland, as he fought for its independence for 20 continuous years, tirelessly, confident of victory even after a while.
According to historical sources, an Italian reconnaissance unit monitored the movements of a group of Libyan fighters on their way to the city of Al-Bayda, on September 11, 1931; this prompted the leaders of the occupation to prepare a force to besiege this group, which is what actually happened. The great surprise was that Omar Al-Mukhtar was present in its ranks so that the process of arresting Al-Mukhtar was carried out, and he was transferred by sea cruiser to a prison in Benghazi in chains; for fear of the reaction of the “Mujahideen” in the event of his transfer by land.
On September 15; the 73-year-old Sheikh was presented to an Italian court to be sentenced in a deliberation that lasted no more than a day to death by hanging, and executed the next day among crowds of his fellow citizens, as if the Italians wanted to get rid of him and humiliate the Libyans so that his execution would turn into an immortal memory in the minds of the Libyans.
Libyans commemorate this anniversary this year, in light of calls to renounce division and disagreement among themselves, after the country witnessed a political division, which almost brought it to the abyss of division, especially after efforts culminated in the political agreement that approved the holding of elections that everyone hopes will bring the country out of the state of fragmentation that it’s been living for a decade.
