Muslim Association of the Lictor
Muslim Association of the Lictor Associazione Mussulmana del Littorio | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| Dissolved | 1943 |
| Headquarters | Tripoli, Italian Libya |
| Youth wing | Arab Lictor Youth |
| Ideology | Fascism (Italian) |
| Political position | Far-right |
| National affiliation | National Fascist Party |
The Muslim Association of the Lictor (Italian: Associazione Mussulmana del Littorio, AML) was created in 1939 as the Muslim branch of the National Fascist Party of Italy.[1] It was found mainly and largely in Italian Libya.[2] It was dissolved by the Allied Powers during the invasion of Italy in 1943.
History
The "Associazione mussulmana del Littorio" was founded by the Italian Governor-General in Libya, Italo Balbo, in January 9, 1939.[3]
In 1939, laws were passed that allowed all Libyan Muslims to be permitted to join the National Fascist Party and in particular the "Muslim Association of the Lictor" (Associazione Mussulmana del Littorio), and the 1939 reforms allowed the creation of Libyan military units within the Italian army.[4] These laws helped legally integrate the native Libyans within the Kingdom of Italy as citizens called "Italian moslems Arabs", who so were with full rights in the legal Italian system.
This "Cittadinanza Italiana Speciale" (Italian Special citizenship) -as were called the laws- was done even as a Mussolini's thanks for the military support received by 9000 native Libyans in the Italian conquest of Ethiopia in 1936.[5] Historians, like Donati Sabina, pinpointed that these Italian laws were in full contrast with the colonial policies done by the French and British authorities in their African empires, where the colonial populations were separated and segregated from the white colonists.
As a consequence during the Second World War, there was strong support for Italy between many Libyans [citation needed], who even enrolled in the Italian Army (other Libyan colonial troops were fighting for the Kingdom of Italy since the 1920s: the cavalry regiments of the Savari and the mounted police called Spahi).
Indeed, two divisions of Libyan colonial troops (with 30000 native Muslim soldiers) were created (and in summer 1940 the first and second Divisions of Fanteria Libica -Libyan infantry - participated in the Italian offensive against British army in Egypt [6]): 1 Libyan Division Sibelle and 2 Libyan Division Pescatori. In 1938 was even created the Ascari del Cielo Paratroops (the first battalion of paratroopers in the Italian Army) that was made exclusively of native Libyan volunteers.
The correspondent association of AML for youths in Italian Libya was called Arab Lictor Youth.
Connections
There were even connections with the Moslem Brotherhood in Egypt. Indeed the future presidents of Egypt Nasser and Sadat were related to the "Associazione Mussulmana del Littorio", when were members of the "Green shirts" of Egypt fascim[7] They were even jailed when the Italian and German troops reached El Alamein in summer 1942, and they were ready for an insurrection in Egypt against the British with support of Libyan members of the Muslim Association of Lictor[8]
Another historical personality connected to this fascist organization -affiliated with the National Fascist Party- was the later Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba, who was freed from jail in 1941 by direct intervention of Benito Mussolini.
See also
References
- ^ Video of the AML creation in 1939
- ^ Sarti, Roland. 1974. The Ax Within: Italian Fascism in Action. New York: New Viewpoints. p190.
- ^ Munzi, Massimiliano. L'epica del ritorno: archeologia e politica nella Tripolitania italiana. Saggi di storia antica. "L'Erma" di Bretschneider. Roma, 2001
- ^ Sarti, p196.
- ^ Donati, S."A Political History of National Citizenship and Identity in Italy, 1861–1950", p. 193
- ^ 30,000 Libyans fought for Italy in WWII
- ^ Nasser and Arafat, members of Egypt's fascist organizations
- ^ Stefano Fabei - Giovanna Canzano: "Fascismo, Nazionalsocialismo, gli Arabi e l’Islam" (in Italian) [1]
Bibliography
- Donati, Sabina A Political History of National Citizenship and Identity in Italy, 1861–1950. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 2013 ISBN 0804787336 ([2])
