Imam Ali and the Downfall of the Dictator of Libya

We have been celebrating the nights of Ghadr or "value".This has been an opportunity to gather and pray together.  Imam Ali Ibn Abitalib was martyred on such a night in the month of Ramazan  40 years after the hejira. He was then, the leader or khalifa of the  Muslim  society . Ali had a unique status among the companions of the Prophet , his attractive and strong personality, his thirst and sacrifice for the truth and for justice were qualities  revered among both enemies and friends. Ali had proven to be reliable, and trustworthy. He was considered to be the most qualified successor to the Prophet of Islam in personal attributes and behavioral traits. He had the substance and compassion to forgive his enemies and to withstand the oppressors. However, those who  claimed to be Muslim but only in name, those who could not tolerate his justice  and his values became aligned against the symbol of righteousness . The hypocrites had begun a smearing campaign against Imam Ali which led to his martyrdom.

The unique personality of this man, his lifestyle and his teachings, gathered as the Nahjul-balaghe, have been studied and reviewed by scores of scholars from all faiths and backgrounds. Many point to his four- year government as an example of a just and efficient system of governance, unprecedented in those ages. Many examples of Imam Ali's practices are now taken by Reformists as cases that prove that certain practices of the current Iranian government are not in tune with what they claim to be as followers of Imam Ali.  The self criticism of Imam Ali and his respect for those who criticized him and his struggle against despotism and tyranny are among some of the issues that Reformists point to.
The coincidence of these nights of Ramazan with the transformations in Libya and the downfall of one of the most despised dictators of our age is also interesting.

With astonishing speed overnight,  revolutionary forces have entered Tripoli, signaling the end of  the reign of a four decade old dictator. After months of struggle and hundreds of martyrs, the Libyan Revolution against tyranny and oppression is coming to a culmination. It seems that Dictators, like Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Saddam Hussein, Ben Ali, Mubarak, Ali Saleh and now Ghazzafi have awakened to the reality only when it was too late. This is a common feature of unlimited, endless and unregulated power in the hands of men who were actually at one time revolutionaries themselves.
The footage emerging from Benghazi and Tripoli shows the jubilation of the people, the calls of Allah o Akbar and the religious atmosphere among the revolutionaries indicates that religious beliefs are key factors in this movement. They now feel that the suffering and sacrifices they experienced was worth it. It seems that the Libyan people expect NATO to leave the future of Libya to the people and Western forces are expected to refrain from interference. We all hope that the revolutionary forces learn from the lessons of other revolutions and fill the power vacum with a transitional government to bring order and pave way for democratic and constitutional changes.