Photo: The Libyan citizen Abdel Basset al-Megrahi walks towards a waiting aeroplane at Glasgow airport after being released from prison, August 20, 2009. The Scottish justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill told reports in a statement, comforting Lockerbie victims’ families that Megrahi was sent back to Libya from Scotland with an illness that “is terminal, final and irrevocable. He is going to die," he said.


Staff Writer
The Tripoli Post

Tripoli, Libya: Libyans are celebrating this evening the return of their beloved son, Abdelbaset Ali Al-Megrahi, with thousands waiting for his plane to land at Ma’atiqa International airport.

However, those who have had the chance to see today’s photos of Abdelbaset Ali Al-Megrahi in such a bad state of his health are expressing shock. Some of them could not help but shed tears.

Many are blaming the Scottish authorities for not taking care of Megrahi’s health while in prison. They speculate that he was left, on purpose, to die of his cancer.

The statement made by the Scottish justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, who said Thursday, “Mr Al-Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. It is one that no court, in any jurisdiction, in any land, could revoke or overrule. It is terminal, final and irrevocable. He is going to die,” is being viewed by many Libyans as a case in point.

This statement reads as if the Scottish authorities have made sure that Megrahi dies within days from his release. In other words, Libyans are now convinced that the Megrahi case could be viewed as a premeditated murder on the part of the Scottish prison authorities.

However, despite such down feeling many are celebrating Megrahi’s return home.

The news of Abdelbaset Ali Al-Megrahi’s long anticipated release provoked wide excitement among Libyans. The glad tidings arrived at a time when Libyans are already preparing grand celebrations to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fatah Revolution, and welcoming the holy month of Ramadan.

Many of those interviewed by The Tripoli Post expressed great relief at Al-Megrahi’s final return particularly at a time when the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan is commencing. Ramadan is regarded as a symbolic Muslim month that symbolizes forgiveness, happiness and reunion.

“I’m a Libyan citizen and I’m so proud and happy for the release of our colleague and fellow citizen. We are glad that he will finally return to his country and join his family.

“This is a very good occasion because we are in the great occasion of the Great Revolution of Al Fateh and also Ramadan. These are great occasions coming together,” said Dr. Faraj A. Boushalla, management Director of Managerial and Finance with the Libyan Company for Preparation & Urban Development.

“Al-Megrahi is innocent and he is not a criminal, and whatever has happened to him is the result of something going wrong somewhere,” added Dr. Boushalla.

Although Al-Megrahi is reported to be terminally ill with prostate cancer, and therefore his release has been widely termed as being on compassionate grounds, many Libyans have dismissed the fact that Al-Megrahi’s release was on such grounds, citing his innocence as what compelled the West to release him.

“This is a victory for the Libyan people as a result of the efforts of the Leader of the Revolution and other Libyan officials responsible for this case. The West should be the last people to talk about humanity, because they are war criminals themselves as we have witnessed in Gaza, Palestine and Iraq,” lamented an interviewee who wanted to remain anonymous.

“We are very happy for the return of the Libyan hero. We appreciate the Libyan efforts for the release of Megrahi. We know that Megrahi’s imprisonment was politica and that it had nothing to do with the Lockerbie tragedy; but what has been done has been done,” remarked Imad Taib.

“If they consider themselves humans, they should have considered the situation from the very beginning. What we have now discovered is that they are just pretenders. However, we still consider Megrahi’s return as a victory to the Libyan people and Libya generally because the whole world has supported us and knew that Al-Megrahi was oppressed,” said Fathi Mohamed Al-Qadar.