Last Thursday in Libya, a highly controversial policy was implemented by the military chief of staff, Abdul Razzaq Al-Naduri. Al-Naduri imposed a travel ban on women under the age of 60 restricting them from travelling alone. The directive, filed as decree (No. 6/2017), banned women from boarding international flights from the eastern Labraq airport without a male guardian. And if the policy itself was not ludicrous enough, the basis for it was overtly absurd.
According to a statement released by a Libyan women’s right activist group, Al-Naduri had accused women of constituting a threat to national security. He said women in civil society groups, who are frequent travellers are being used as spies by foreign intelligence agencies. Hence the ban was for “security reasons”, and not driven by religious ideology as many believe. “We respect Libyan women who are totally free as long as they stay on Libyan soil, but we must keep an eye on them as soon as they leave it,” Al-Naduri told a Libyan television channel.
But the Libyan women’s right activist group did not buy his explanation. “This is a particularly heinous position to take on the matter of women’s right to freedom of movement as well as an intentional effort to dishonour the dignity and reputation of Libyan women,” their statement read.
Over the weekend, the decree sparked a widespread conversation on social media in Libya with a few in support saying it was in accordance with Islamic laws. While many mocked and condemned it, including with a parody of Enrique Iglesias’ Hero which was sung as “I can be your mahram baby”. Mahram refers to a woman’s husband or a male family member in Islamic law.
In reaction to the backlash, Abdul Razzaq Nazawra, the military governor of the east suspended the travel ban. But the women’s right group are asking for it to be officially withdrawn and completely revoked. “The announcement that the decree has been frozen is not a retraction, and it leaves enforcement open to interpretation and also the possibility of it being reactivated at a later date. The decree must be withdrawn officially and completely denounced as unenforceable.”
Apparently, this is not the first time such a policy has been implemented in Libya. As one Libyan pointed out on twitter that the Ghadaffi regime made an attempt at this policy but it was stopped after a few days. Perhaps eastern Libya was only trying to emulate Saudi Arabia’s travel ban on women.
The travel ban which only affects women in eastern Libya highlights a growing political divide in the country. Currently, Libya is divided between two loosely-tied coalitions of non-state armed groups. The Islamist-led New General National Congress is located in Tripoli, while the internationally recognized House of Representatives is in Tobruk.