Libya’s Mufti calls for peaceful protests to push for reforms and elections

Libya’s Mufti, Sheikh Al-Sadiq Al-Gharyani, has called for peaceful and orderly protests to demand improvements in public services and conditions, urging citizens to participate widely. He said peaceful expression of demands and rights is a legitimate means of applying pressure for reform.

Al-Gharyani said the government has lost part of its popular support because of what he described as misplaced priorities, arguing that citizens are facing worsening crises, including power outages, deteriorating public services, shortages of fuel, cash, and medicines. He said promoting recreational projects under such circumstances only deepens public frustration.

He added that the current crises are not new but claimed the government does not heed advice and relies on temporary solutions to address problems. He also called on the government to adopt a firmer stance toward what he described as its opponents.

The mufti stressed that protests should remain peaceful and organized, suggesting they continue outside government headquarters and the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation to demand reforms and the disclosure of public spending and funds linked to contracts, according to his remarks.

He also urged protesters to press for elections and a referendum on the draft constitution, rejecting the continuation of transitional arrangements. He said sustained peaceful demonstrations for one or two weeks could help achieve those demands.

The Mufti criticized what he described as the government’s policy of accommodating its opponents and granting them privileges despite their opposition. He also claimed that a number of ministers associated with the former regime or the General Command are not performing their duties adequately, adding that the government is aware of this.

He further argued that some acts of vandalism accompanying the protests were, in his view, the result of organized groups exploiting misled young people. He stressed that attacking public property or disrupting people’s daily lives; such as dumping garbage in front of banks, does not serve the protesters’ demands but instead harms citizens, calling for demonstrations to remain peaceful and respectful of both public and private property.