Libyan Salafi Groups and the 17th Feb. Revolution

The socio-political upheavals in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) during the last 3 years have revived the oppressed political groups in the previous dictatorships. All these groups, even the pro-dictator ones, are trying to play role in the new era and take up the future of their country’s political system. In this time, in Libya, despite of formation of the transitional government, different political parties have been trying to seize power and the competition is still continuing. Among others, the Salafi groups are active in politics field and are going to take their country’s destination by any kind of tool. Exploring the social roots of Salafi groups, namely Wahhabis, Ikhwans, and Takfiris, as well as their performance in post-17th Feb revolution is the main subject in the present paper. Indeed, being pro-Gaddafi before the revolution, the Madkhalia Salafi (traditional) by Takfiris attempt to prohibit the election and destruct the Sufis’ temples in order to affect the country’s political situation. The Ikhwan’s demand for power is stronger and the Takfiri Salafis are a part of anti-security trend that in addition to intervention in the Syrian civil war, they attempt to simultaneously battle both the government and the Ikhwans.