Ali Ahmida interviewed on Free Speech Radio on Libya and the Egyptian uprising

Ali Abdullatif Ahmida, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, was interviewed by Free Speech Radio Feb. 10, 2011 for a story on whether the demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia could lead to unrest in Libya. Ahmida explained that there are several factors in Libya that make it less likely to see a popular uprising against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Libya's long-serving dictator. Libya has no political parties, which were banned, and no trade unions. "In addition, Libyan regional and tribal identities are strong and still active, so civil society is really weakened quite a bit," he explained. On the other hand, the use of social networking and satellite TV have been important avenues for many Libyans, similar to Egypt and Tunisia. Ahmida is the author of The Making of Modern Libya: State Formation, Colonialization and Resistance, and several other books on Libya and North Africa.

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