ABTİSAM AGHFYR

Libya- Civil society activist Dina Al-Fazani stated that the civil society movement confronts several problems, including political, security, and finance issues, but the efforts trying to create a suitable working environment in order to fulfill development goals in society continue.

The discussions about converting the Benghazi Cathedral into a mosque sparked anger on social media. While some agreed with the converting the cathedral into a mosque, other converted the church into a mosque, some opposed it. In the same way, the Waqf denied responsibility for the perpetrators of the crime. The Libyan Department of Antiquities Department then announced that the cathedral is a historical heritage that cannot be converted or transferred without permission.

These responses were backed up by civil society activists, who saw that their efforts to raise awareness about the issue were not in vain because the state's authorities provided the necessary clarifications to calm public opinion, and women were among the most active activists who defended that the cathedral should remain as a cultural and historical structure that defines the cathedral's identity.

Stating that the city of Benghazi has been a city of tolerance and coexistence for centuries, Dina said, “International organizations are concerned about women's human rights, and we now have a project focusing on Libyan women who are married to foreigners, as well as political empowerment for women in general and those who want to run for office in the future in particular."

"Simple yet effective change"

"The Libyan civil society movement is an important movement, like other civil society movement all around the world," Dina Al-Fazani said, "but the movement in Libya hasn’t received sufficient support. It has spent very long time by carrying out activities on some issues so it hasn’t had time to focus on other issues. For this reason, it does not achieve its purpose. We must look for the reason that led to its ineffectiveness and discus them in order to make the movement more effective. The change will not happen tomorrow. The change is always good even if it is simple yet effective change.”

Pointing out that the movement has made a change in women’s issues, Dina said, "It has raised awareness about women’s issues. Our society has partially accepted the presence of women. It is not a big step but at least women take part in decision-making positions now. For instance, there are five women ministers in the government now.”

Challenges

She stated that the civil society movement faces challenges, such as political, security, and financing issues, but it tries to create a suitable working environment in order to fulfill its development goals in society.

Speaking about the importance of social media in the civil rights movement, she said, "Social media is really important. Everyone nowadays uses social media to find the information or notion they're looking for. It is important to raise awareness.”

“Coexistence and respect for others are vital”

According to Dina Al-Fazani, "Coexistence and respect for others are vital, and no one has the right to judge others. Treatment and respect are more essential than appearance, and appearance is not the rule when interacting with individuals.”

She emphasized that women are not the only actors in civil society, men are also important actors. "In reality, the civil society movement cannot succeed or reach a large number of people unless it uses the media and social networking sites because there are a number of human rights and civil issues that must be highlighted in the community. It is important to rely on the social media since a lot of people prefer using them.”