Ahmad Ehwas’ Public Statement on the occasion of his official resignation as the Libyan ambassador to Guyana

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Ahmad Ehwas’ Public Statement on the occasion of his official resignation as the Libyan ambassador to Guyana

I knew Muammar al-Qathafi Abu Minyar as a student at the Military Academy in 1965 while I was teaching there, and later as an officer in the Libyan Army up to the takeover in 1969. I knew him to be peculiar in his thinking and his behavior, and I was greatly astonished and deeply worried when he emerged at the head of authority in Libya through a coup which time will soon reveal the true identity of its real instigators.

From the very early days of the coup I refused a suggestion to send a telegram of support in order not to enlist my recognition of this dubious regime. I also discounted the idea of writing a memorandum to Qathafi giving my advice and views on the kind of change required for the country due to my conviction that he did not respect dialogue of any kind and that once he believed in something he would never change his view even if he were convinced that truth was not on his side.

It was difficult for me then, amid the spontaneous and innocent expressions of support for the new regime by the good people of Libya, to declare my views concerning Qathafi whom I knew very well. I chose to continue serving my faith and my nation from whatever position I occupied. Sources close to Qathafi intimated to me his keen desire) to remain outside the country and ever since my life there has been a series of shifts from one Libyan embassy to another, the latest of which was to Guyana in South America.

I have been in constant contact with my country's affairs, and every time I visited home I witnessed at first hand the systematic destruction of the economy, the moral disintegration of society, the distortion of our religion, the ideological deviation, and the utter chaos which engulfed the administrative and political institutions of the state. Public frustration spread at all levels. I also followed the perpetuation of terrorism, despotism, force and oppression at Qathafi's hands as well as the confiscation of freedom and property at such an unprecedented scale.

Qathafi's blunders and follies and attacks on all that is dear and valuable and sacred in my country affected me deeply and I wondered at those who espoused his heedless ideas and peddled his crooked thought. I often questioned myself about the reality of what is taking place and the possibility of it happening, and how to face the situation. I felt that there must be some positive role for me to play in all this, and with Qathafi's persistence in perpetuating even more oppression and injustice which led to the emergence of a number of opposing voices inside and outside Libya, that feeling in me grew stronger. To maintain silence any longer would have, in my view, been a great shortcoming not justifiable by all the factors that led me previously to postpone declaring my position until now.

And in the world's experience with Qathafi and his perfidious stands towards Islamic and liberation causes and his blatant meddlings in the internal affairs of other countries, especially in Africa and among sister Arab countries, there is ample proof for the destructive role that this man is playing which has damaged Libya's status and reputation in the world.

In my personal capacity I hereby strongly condemn all the malpractices, past and present, carried out by the irresponsible despotic rule of Qathafi both inside and outside Libya. I feel that I express the feelings of the majority of the unfortunate people of Libya who never ceased in their endeavor to bring an end to this horrible nightmare ever since its reality became clear to them during the early months of the wretched takeover.

Having stated this, I therefore declare my resignation from my post as Counsellor at the Libyan Foreign Ministry and Charge d'Affaires at the Libyan Embassy in Guyana. I also declare my firm intention to stand with all that I am capable of with those who are seriously and sincerely working to bring down this dictator who has disgraced our dear country, in order to regain for our Libyan people their usurped freedom and enable them to choose a way of life and a political rule within the framework of the religion and well-established system of Islam thereby drawing nearer towards their aspirations for greatness, dignity, prosperity and progress.

Ahmad Ibrahim Ehwas

Counselor, the Libyan Foreign Ministry

Charge d'Affaires, Libyan Embassy Guyana

12 Rabie-ul-Awwal;1401

18 January, 1981