Libya's Single Option

Respect for The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1978) is a basic concept that humans in the 21st century should be used to follow. In Libya, a country in Africa, the government is not pleased to offer these rights. During the 42 years that the country was ruled by Muammar Gaddafi, the citizens only witnessed an oppressive government. Even after Gaddafi’s ended in 2011, Libyan people still do not have their freedom back. There is no big picture for citizens from Libya. There is nothing right, nothing ethical. There is just one perspective of life provided by the government.

Gaddafi’s oppressive regime took control of the oil revenue from Libya, letting the citizens high and dry. There were, and still there are no investments made on education, health or security in Libya during this long government (Soguel, 2011). The full control of a country is already a violation of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, where the people should have the right to be free (United Nations, 1978). Controlling a whole country is also controlling its people.

According to Nawara Zeidi, a Libyan citizen “Freedom means they [the Libyan government] will meet our demands, improve our homes” (Soguel, 2011). What Gaddafi has done is nothing else than giving one option. Libya gives citizens the option of living without any benefit coming from their own country. It means that the population is not free. Today the country has more than one third of the population under the line of poverty (Rheannon, 2011). This number is not a choice of Libya’s people, but Libya’s old government.

The violation of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is so huge in Libya, that it affects not only one, but all the citizens at the same time. It is despotism leading the country. People from Libya need their rights back. No one can have the power of taking away the basic right of freedom.

References
Rheannon, F. (2011, March 04). Lesson from Libya: despotism, poverty and risk. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=US108205791820110304
Soguel, D. (2011, April 27). Libyans hope revolt will lift them out of poverty. Middle East Online. Retrieved from http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=45803
United Nations. (1978). The declaration of Universal Human Rights. Office of Public Information. - The united nations and human rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/