Freedom Of Expression And Action In Libya After The Libyan Uprising

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Recommended: Arab spring causes and consequences

Nowadays, a number of extensive public resistance towards the governments across the Middle East and North Africa often referred to as an Arab Spring has clearly emerged as one of the significant issues in world politics. The whole world watched as countries across the Middle East and North Africa have been conducting protests and demonstrations, depending on the country, to obtain what reforms or to depose their leader. Civilians, along with the social media, made use of strikes, demonstrations, marches, and rallies to persuade government officials. The long-term political, social, and economic ramifications of these revolutions remain to be seen and the intended and unintended consequences as countries across the region seek democratic reforms.

In the case of Libya, where the uprising was successful, the protestors were able to dethrone their political leader, Muammar Gaddafi, and eliminate the existing authoritarian system. And at this case, the authority was left to militants to administer the society (Libya: Year after uprising, militants in control, 2012). This raises an interesting question for the people of Libya on what sort of society do they wish to build in place of the one they overthrew, and at what pace.

This paper will focus on the Arab Spring movement most specifically on Libya and to what extent does Libyan society should protect individual rights to free expression and action, especially given its current political situation. To do this, a brief discussion about Libyan uprising put forth by Thomas Hobbes and Polybius and the concept of freedom of expression and action from the perspectives of Aristotle and Cicero will be discussed.

Even before, there have been a prolonged opposition to Gaddafi in the c...

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Libya: Year after uprising, militants in control. (2012, February 18). Retrieved 20 March 2012 from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/17/MNP01N9 406. DTL

Noueihed, Lin. (2011). Tunisian vegetable seller a resistance symbol. Reuters. Retrieved 20 March 2012 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/17/us- tunisia-protests-brother-idUSTRE70G5B620110117

Padode, Priyanka. (2011, September 21). Moammar Khadafy graffiti in Libya an expression of newfound freedom. Retrieved 23 March 2012 from http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-09-21/news/30206140_1_moammar- khadafy-libyan-people-graffiti

Polybius. Political Cycle.

Stables, George. (2011). Supporting the Arab Spring: Democracy Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from ht9iotp://www.cedadebate.org/forum/index.php?topic=2380.0

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