Making A Difference

Published in The Tripoli Post in the July 2002 issue

My first step on Libyan soil was on June 11, 1990 which was a holiday. An immigration officer teasingly commented to my husband, "What are you doing bringing an American in when we are celebrating the date of the expulsion of the American military". The timing of my arrival on this particular holiday had been kept a secret from me, which was probably wise because I would never have boarded the plane from Frankfurt to Tripoli if I had known. I would have been terrified. Later my husband mentioned that people had advised him to reschedule our flight so that we could arrive on a different date, but he refused to listen to them. He knew in his heart that his American wife would be welcome in his country even on such a significant date.

I was filled with fear and dread as we approached my husband's villa. His house was one of those that had been bombed by the Americans in 1986, and I was going to meet my husband's family for the first time in this place. Would meeting an American trigger emotions about the bombing? And, I certainly wasn't looking forward to being known as "the American" in this neighborhood where families had lost loved ones due to "miscalculations" that hit erroneous targets.

So, what kind of start was this to life in a new country? My husband assured me that I could disclose my nationality. He was confident that there would be no problems. But, hesitations consumed me and consideration was given to alternate possibilities like Irish or Canadian.

Anyway why did shopkeepers have to always inquire, "Where are you from?" Trusting my husband implicitly, I softly whispered "America". I braced myself for the negative reaction which never came. On the contrary, the shopkeeper had a welcoming smile. "America? Good…" he managed to utter in his broken English. A sense of relief spread over me, and I returned his smile and left. By the way, when you can't speak a language, a smile goes a long way.

Once in the car, the generosity and kindness of the shopkeeper was discovered. He had slipped a chocolate bar inside my bag of purchased food items. My fear of divulging my nationality evaporated as shopkeeper after shopkeeper exhibited the same behavior.

As I settled into my new life, I began to wonder why I, an American, was living here. Yes, the simple and obvious reason was because my husband was Libyan. But, I pondered a deeper understanding which initially left me with no other answers. Three years passed before a purpose was stumbled upon. It took some time to gather up the courage to share my thoughts with my husband due to the realization that what I had to relate could sound incredibly absurd. But, the belief was so deep inside me and it guided me to make the announcement that the reason why I was in Libya was to help improve relations between Libya and America. To my utter astonishment, my husband concurred. He felt I could and should play a role. There's satisfaction in finally ascertaining your purpose after soul-searching for years. But, my satisfaction was short-lived as my mind tackled the next mammoth question, "What am I suppose to do?"

Relations between Libya and America were severed. U.S. and U.N sanctions were in place. Surely, a U.S. citizen married to a Libyan could not single handedly make a difference. After all I wasn't a diplomat nor did I hold a key position of any kind. All I possessed was my opinion that I was supposed to do something.

Direct communication with the American public was crucial. But, how? Basically there were two ways and both seemed unattainable. Once choice would be to release a movie on a love-related theme between an American and a Libyan. The other would be to publish an article in a renowned, national magazine.

For years all the American newspaper and magazine articles about Libya had been negative, supporting the belief that Libya was a terrorist state. Now, based on my experiences living and interacting with Libyans, I wanted a positive article published depicting good aspects of the people and the country. Impossible? Most probably, yes. But, my slim chance at succeeding did not deter me.

Through my family connections in The States, it was possible to introduce my dream to a journalist. Actually, I was forthright and said, "Mike, grant me a miracle. Publish an article about Libya that does not address politics and its negative implications." "You've got it" was the immediate response.

Then we searched for topics. Mike pointed out that sports continued to be a popular pastime for most Americans, and we agreed to explore this idea. He would contact the media in America, and my husband and I would pursue it in Libya. To my dismay, there was absolutely no interest in either country and the idea was set aside.

Two years later the idea was revived when U.N. sanctions were suspended. There seemed to be a new hope and an upbeat atmosphere. Would Mike be available to travel to Libya to write a story on sports? To my delight he was extremely interested and he discussed the details with the editors at Sports Illustrated. The editors immediately seized the chance to have the story. I followed these developments elatedly but shook my head in amazement. Timing is everything. Two years prior, these same editors had refused to consider publishing a story about sports in Libya.

With the knowledge that this sports magazine was read by seven plus million Americans and the editors were wiling to send a journalist accompanied by photographers to Libya to write a story about sports, my husband approached the subject with the Chairman of the Olympic Committee, Engineer Muhammad Mu'ammar Al-Gadhafi.

The suggestion was well-received and he was instrumental in extending an official invitation.

The journalist and his team arrived in Tripoli in July, 1999. Under the guidance of Engineer Muhammad Mu'ammar Al-Gadhafi, sports interviews were conducted and hundreds of photographs were shot.

Full cooperation was extended to these guests of the media, and Engineer Muhammad Mu'ammar Al-Gadhafi bestowed a very special honor on the journalist when he personally welcomed him to Libya and consented to an interview. This was also a monumental day for me because I, too, had the honor of meeting Engineer Muhammad Mu'ammar Al-Gadhafi.

In September 1999 Sports Illustrated published a ten page article about sports in Libya against all odds.

Before the editors could release the article for publication, they had to address two serious concerns. They acknowledged that the author had written a fair article based on the interviews. But, what would be the consequences of being the first magazine to print and distribute a fair article about Libya? It was a fact that media exposure had been political in nature and negative for a decade or two.

The editors pointed out their concern for the safety of the journalist as there could be threats from special interest groups. A second worry was related to their revenues. Would their major advertising companies fail to support this issue?

Numerous meetings were held and the editors had to think long and hard about whether they could incur such risks. Despite these reservations, the article was given the green light and was sent to print.

The feedback from the American readers who sent letters to the editors clearly expressed their viewpoint that the story was presented in a balanced way. The Americans felt that Engineer Muhammad Mu'ammar Al-Gadhafi had conveyed a positive message in a friendly, likeable way. Ultimately, the Americans were touched by this young, Libyan gentleman.

The Engineer Muhammad Mu'ammar Al-Gadhafi had made a favorable impression on the American public. The Sports Illustrated editors' worries did not materialize and my dream had become a reality. The "impossible" had been achieved! Now my conviction that I had a job to do in bridging the gap between the two countries was even stronger. An article had touched the lives of American readers.

Would it be possible to touch the lives of Libyan readers through an article? I decided to try and submitted Home Away From Home to the Tripoli Post. It was in the November 2000 issue.

The fact that an article written by an American had been published in a Libyan newspaper was encouraging. Thus, I forwarded a second article to the newspaper, The Story Behind the Sports Illustrated Visit to Ghadames which was in the January 2001 issue of The Tripoli Post. My campaign to make a difference had successfully touched the lives of American and Libyan readers.

I again found myself yearning for my next project that I could attempt on my own. That's when I learned that a Libyan American Friendship Association (LAFA) had been formed. It shared the same objectives that I had identified, that is, seeking ways to reach the American people to start the process of bridging the gap between the Americans and Libyans. What a tremendous discovery this was for me. There were others partaking in my ideology.

Through the Libyan American Friendship Association, Libyans reached out to Americans residing in Tripoli following the September 11th tragedies in The States to offer their sympathy and support. American ladies could not place flowers at the American embassy, as was being done in other countries, because there was no embassy.

Realizing that the American ladies needed to express their grief, the General Secretary of the Libyan American Friendship Association stepped forward and offered to have a Show of Sympathy for the victims.

He noted that the Libyans were also shocked and saddened by what had occurred, and he wanted to assist the Americans in any possible way. Within days after the tragic events in The States, there was a service where Libyans and Americans gathered together to express their sorrow and to pray for the victims.

Currently through LAFA many plans are being formulated, such as an American cultural week in Libya. The General Secretary is seeking ideas: cultural exchange programs, seminars and lectures, sports events and media coverage to be organized in both Libya and America. The General Secretary, supported by the LAFA members, is firmly committed to developing and sponsoring these types of programs.

Proudly I can report that I am now a Member of the Board of LAFA, and that I am no longer alone in my endeavors. I have found friends in LAFA and believe that together we will make a difference because Libyans and Americans are putting their heads and their hearts together in a sincere attempt to reestablish good-will and friendships.

As The Leader of the Revolution Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi has so aptly expressed in the Green Book, "Lasting relationships are between people not governments".