My Friends

While the novel is set in 2016 London, England, the majority of the narrative depicts sequences from the 1980s through the 2010s. These flashbacks feature references to Libya, Khaled Abd al Hady’s country of birth, and Libya’s political conflicts throughout the years prior. In particular, Khaled reflects on how Muammar al-Qaddafi’s regime affected his country and the events that led to the Arab Spring and Qaddafi’s assassination.

In 1965, Qaddafi completed his military training and became an officer in the Libyan army. At this time, Libya was a monarchy under King Idris I (1890-1983). There was growing unrest in Libya during these years, as the country’s oil-fueled wealth was heavily concentrated in the hands of the elite, causing discontent among the lower classes. Qaddafi and his supporters successfully staged a military coup in 1969, known as the “Free Officers Movement.” Qaddafi took power and declared that Libya was now the Libyan Arab Republic.

As the new military commander-in-chief and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, Qaddafi ejected American and British armed forces, outlawed alcohol and gambling, and expelled Jewish citizens and immigrants. Over the years, Qaddafi’s regime became increasingly intolerant of dissent and enforced violent purges, particularly of outspoken reporters and journalists. One such campaign was called “The Killing of the Word” and is referenced repeatedly throughout Khaled’s story.

Qaddafi remained in power from 1969 until 2011. In 2010, increased resistance to Qaddafi and his regime began to emerge, partly in response to Qaddafi’s 2010 appointment as Chairman of the African Union. Shortly after his election, Qaddafi gave an incendiary speech at the United Nations. In the months following, a series of anti-government demonstrations emerged throughout Northern Africa, including in Tunisia and Egypt, which soon spread to other countries and became known as the Arab Spring. This resistance movement soon spread to Libya’s city of Benghazi. In 2011, protests against the Qaddafi regime became more pervasive throughout the country. Qaddafi attempted to violently squash the resistance, but was met with international criticism. In February, he publicly refused to give up his position and accused the protestors of being led by al-Qaeda. Backed by NATO support, the protestors gained power and took control throughout more Libyan territory. In the fall of 2011, Qaddafi fled to Sirte, where revolutionaries found and assassinated him in October.

These historical events form the backdrop to the events of My Friends. Khaled isn’t in Libya at the time of the Arab Spring, but his closest friends are fighting in the conflict and are also involved in Qaddafi’s assassination. Khaled loves his country, but is also afraid that participating in the Arab Spring will compromise his life in England and threaten his independence. The author includes detailed allusions to the Qaddafi regime and the Arab Spring throughout the novel to authenticate Khaled’s narrative world, offering the reader an accessible throughway into this era of Libyan history.