Bashir Saghir Hawadi (born 1941), also transliterated as Hawady or Houadi, is a Libyan major general who served under

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...

. He was among the twelve original members of the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council, the chief judge of the Libyan People's Court, and the

General Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

of the

Arab Socialist Union The Arab Socialist Union may refer to: *Arab Socialist Union (Egypt), active 1962–78 *Arab Socialist Union (Iraq), active 1964–68 *Libyan Arab Socialist Union, active 1971−77 *Arab Socialist Union Party (Syria), founded in 1973 *Democratic Ar ...

Biography

Judges_of_the_Libyan_People's_Court,_1971

Early life and education

A native of Waddan, Hawadi was a classmate of

at the

Benghazi Military University Academy Benghazi Military University Academy is a military academy in Benghazi in Libya. Alumni Notable graduates of the academy include Muammar Gaddafi and Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, ...

. He and Awad Ali Hamza (born 1943) were in the political study cell Gaddafi formed at the school.

Career under Gaddafi

Hawadi played a key role in the

1969 Libyan coup d'état The 1969 Libyan coup d'état, also known as the al-Fateh Revolution or the 1 September Revolution, was carried out by the Free Unionist Officers Movement, a group of military officers led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, which led to the overthrow of K ...

that brought Gaddafi to power. After the successful coup, he was among the twelve "free officers" named to the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council (RCC). He also served as chief judge of the Libyan People's Court in 1970. In June 1971, Gaddafi founded a vanguard party named

to mobilize revolutionary enthusiasm and support of the masses. Hawadi was named General Secretary of the Party while Gaddafi was chairman. He later served as Minister of Religious Affairs. As Minister of Religious Affairs, Hawadi opposed funding the

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...

by arguing that the NOI was not a real Muslim organization. Herbert Muhammad, the son of NOI leader Elijah Muhammad, had visited Gaddafi in Tripoli in December 1971 and requested funding.

1975 coup

In August 1975, Hawadi and Hamza sided with Planning Minister and fellow RCC member

Umar Muhayshi Umar Abdullah el-Muhayshi (; 1941-January, 1984) was a Libyan army officer and a member of the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council that ruled Libya after the 1969 Libyan coup d'état. Life Born to a family of Circassian and Turkish origin, U ...

in the latter's dispute with Gaddafi. Gaddafi accused them of plotting a coup. Hawadi and Hamza were arrested; Muhayshi and Abdul Moniem al-Taher el-Huny fled. The aborted coup hastened the end of the RCC. In the ensuing purge, most of the conspirators were executed in March 1976. Hawadi apparently survived the purge. It was unclear how long Hawadi was imprisoned, but it appeared he was eventually forgiven by Gaddafi and led a quiet life out of politics.

Libyan Civil War

When the First Libyan Civil War broke out in 2011, Hawadi was summoned by Gaddafi and he appeared on Libyan state TV in his military uniform for the first time in 36 years on 26 May 2011 to praise Gaddafi. In September 2011, after the Battle of Tripoli, Hawadi was arrested by rebel forces and imprisoned in

Misrata Misrata ( ; also spelled Misurata or Misratah; ar, مصراتة, Miṣrāta ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misrata. With ...

. Hawadi claimed Gaddafi had threatened to kill him and wipe his hometown of Waddan off the map if he had refused to help Gaddafi mobilize public support and "calm the people of Libya." Hawadi also claimed that he had no military or political role in a long time due to his poor relationship with Gaddafi and that he had surrendered to the National Transitional Council after being guaranteed safety. He stated that he knew nothing about Gaddafi's whereabouts as he had last seen him on 25 May 2011.

References

Works cited

* * * * * {{Libyan civil war Libyan generals People of the First Libyan Civil War