Omar Al-Mukhtar was a teacher of the Holy Quran who turned into a liberation fighter and served as an inspiration for freedom movements all over the world. He is best remembered for having led an armed uprising and guerrilla battle against Italian colonisers for over 20 years of his life until being captured and put to death 91 years ago.
Born in Janzour, a small village in north-western Libya in 1862, much of Mukhtar’s early life revolved around the masjid and his school, teaching the Quran.
During the Italo-Ottoman War in October 1911, an Italian naval force commanded by Admiral Luigi Faravelli arrived on the coast of Libya, which was then a region under Ottoman Islamic rule. Faravelli threatened to immediately destroy Tripoli and Benghazi if the Ottoman government and garrison refused to cede their land to the Italians. The Turks and their Libyan allies withdrew to the countryside instead of surrendering, and the Italians intoxicated with power and hubris bombarded the cities for three days, destroying them brick by brick.
It was this moment in history that gave birth to a warrior who for the next twenty years chased the Italian army across the desert and attacked and roared at them.
After 1912, Omar Mukhtar rose to prominence as a hero and inspiration to Libyans, particularly the youth. The message of his resistance was clear. Who gives Italy the authority to dominate and subjugate us while we are an independent nation?
He quickly started enlisting young Libyans into his army and intensified the guerilla campaign against the Italian colonial force. Omar Mukhtar made the desert his most effective weapon in battle since he was a native of a desert village and was familiar with its geology and atmosphere. He would ride out of a ravine or a grove of palm trees, accompanied by his young followers, with pistols draped over their shoulders and attack the Italian forces.
The war between the forces of Mukhtar and the Italians grew bloodier and horrifying every passing day. To keep him under control, the Italians laid out hundreds of kilometres of barbed wire across the desert, but Mukhtar’s attacks and resolve only intensified. Now, in an effort to put more pressure on him, the Italians began to detain women and children.
It is estimated that there were more than 125,000 children and women were incarcerated by the Italians, two-thirds of whom were killed inside the prisons. Yet Mukhtar’s spirit and perseverance did not waver, and he continued to fight with all of his might.
His guerrilla tactics left the Regio Esercito (Italian Royal Army) shocked and embarrassed. Guerrilla forces in Jebel Akhdar suffered a significant blow thanks to a counterguerrilla army established by the Italian governor Ernesto Bombelli in 1924. (“Green Mountain”). Mukhtar changed his strategies as a result and was able to rely on Egypt’s support going forward.
Despite Giarabub being occupied since February 1926 and being subject to Governor Attilio Teruzzi’s increasingly severe control, Mukhtar ambushed Italian troops at Raheiba in March 1927. The Senusi soldiers, which were continuously being pursued by the Italians, were regrouped by Mukhtar in 1927 and 1928. Omar’s “extraordinary perseverance and strong willpower” were lauded by Teruzzi himself.
Marshal Pietro Badoglio, who took office as governor of Libya in January 1929, made a settlement with Mukhtar in accordance with earlier Italian-Senusi agreements (described by the Italians as his complete submission). Mukhtar renounced the agreement and restored Libyan forces’ unity of purpose in action in October 1929 as he readied himself for the decisive conflict with Italian general Rodolfo Graziani.
Following the failure of a massive assault in June against Mukhtar’s men, Graziani devised a strategy to defeat the Libyan Mujahideen: The 100,000 residents of Jebel Akhdar would be moved to concentration camps along the coast, and the Libyan-Egyptian border would be closed off by a fence, barring any outside assistance for the fighters and denying them local support. These measures, which Graziani began in 1931, took their toll on the Senusi resistance.
The rebels were deprived of help and reinforcements, spied upon, hit by Italian aircraft, and pursued on the ground by the Italian forces aided by local informers and collaborators. Mukhtar continued to struggle despite increased hardships and risks, but on 11 September 1931, he was ambushed near Slonta.
On September 11, 1931, the Lion of the Desert and his crew ambushed a significant Italian army convoy. Both sides started firing their weapons. Mukhtar, who was at the ripe age of 70, fell victim to the enemy’s trap. His arm was broken as he crashed to the ground after his horse slid. He crawled toward his downed gun anyhow, but the Italian soldiers swiftly surrounded him.
Omar Mukhtar, a seventy-year-old rebel who was old but still vigorous, was brought before the military court while he was in chains. Outside the courthouse, Italian guards were stationed beside long lines of soldiers who were standing by to deal with any potential threats. Mukhtar recited the Holy Quran while standing by himself in the corner of the room.
He continued reciting the Quran, even as the Italian judge sentenced him to death by hanging. The judge drew him to himself and said, “I am very sorry for your death in this manner.” To which Mukhtar replied in a loud voice, “This is a proud and lovely conclusion of my life,” as he turned to face the military officials.
There was stillness throughout the entire exchange. The military court judge finally broke the tension by making him an intriguing offer: you will be forgiven if you write to your supporters and ask them to cease supporting the war against Italy. He said, “My finger which is raised in every prayer to testify to the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad, I would prefer death a thousand times over writing a letter in support of falsehood with these fingers.” He then looked directly into the judge’s eyes and added, “I would prefer death thousand times over.”
His self-assurance and delight were evident when he was executed by hanging on September 16, 1931, in a public field. For the last time, he grinned mischievously like a young child. Shortly after, his body was found hanging from the rope. Eventually, Libya was declared free in 1947 but became an independent state in 1951.
Mukhtar’s final adversary, Italian General Rodolfo Graziani, has given a description of the Senusi leader that is not lacking in respect: “Of medium height, stout, with white hair, beard, and moustache. Omar was endowed with a quick and lively intelligence; was knowledgeable in religious matters, and revealed an energetic and impetuous character, unselfish and uncompromising; ultimately, he remained very religious and poor, even though he had been one of the most important Senusist figures.”
Mukhtar’s famous statement, “We are people that will not surrender, we win or we die.,’ became a rallying cry for millions of Muslims and other pro-independence groups all over the world.
His final years were depicted in the movie Lion of the Desert (1981), starring Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, and Irene Papas. It was based on the struggles of Mukhtar against Rodolfo Graziani’s forces.
