For decades, the Berber language has faced suppression and marginalization in Libya. Under the regime of former dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi, Berber culture and identity were seen as a threat to the unity of the country, leading to the banning of the language in schools and public spaces. However, in recent years, Berber activists have been working to revitalize their language, with a growing number of classes and media outlets now dedicated to teaching and promoting it. This article explores the inspiring efforts of Libyan Berbers to revive their language and preserve their cultural heritage.
Tamazight, the native language of indigenous people across North Africa since pre-Roman times, has survived despite centuries of Arab domination and underwent a revival in Libya after the four-decade rule of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi ended in a 2011 revolution. Under Kadhafi’s oppressive regime, Berber culture was suppressed while Arab identity was promoted. However, Berber residents especially in the remote western mountains continued to speak their language at home, out of earshot of the feared secret police. Libya is home to around 10% of Berber population among its seven million people.
In Zuwara, a majority-Berber community located near the border with Tunisia, a teacher named Assirem Shawashi encourages her nine-year-old pupils to approach the board, one by one, to draw out symbols as they find their identity and their culture in books. It is not just about the alphabet and vocabulary, but a whole culture the teacher is passing on to them.
Since then, the community has made “enormous advances”, Shawashi added. School director, Sondoss Saki, said the first classes in 2012 had “difficult beginnings” due to a lack of trained teachers and confusion about which curriculum to follow. However, despite some parents fearing the children would be overloaded, arguing that Arabic and English were a higher priority, “the children come here to learn, and their minds are wide open to knowledge,” Saki said confidently, sitting behind her desk where the Libyan and Amazigh (Berber) flags stood side by side.
Tamazight textbooks arrived immediately after the revolution, from Morocco where the language is constitutionally recognised. The language, however, hasn’t been given official status in Libya yet, though local authorities have been accommodating towards Berber culture, even providing textbooks.
Berber language promotion is not just limited to schools. In the case of Kasas FM, founded in 2012 as Libya’s first local radio station to broadcast in Tamazight, it is about promoting the language in social issues, culture, religion, entertainment and sport, Ismail Abudib, programme director at the station, says. “Respecting your language and being proud of your identity doesn’t stop you living with other communities,” Abudib said. “We’re walking forward and not looking back to the times of repression and marginalisation. The whole world is full of diversity, and as Libyans, we should be able to live together in peace.”
Tamazight is an important part of the cultural heritage of the Amazigh people who have persisted through ages of Arabisation and remain a minority in North Africa. The adoption of Tamazight in government schools and official documents has become an essential demand for the Amazigh people in North Africa. However, respecting the diversity of the region and its people is of paramount importance. Therefore, promoting Tamazight and other indigenous languages is necessary, yet it should not be at the expense of other cultures and traditions that exist in the region. Promoting cultural diversity is the key to ensuring happy and prosperous coexistence of the diverse population in North Africa.
