Modern Day Amazons: Colonel Qaddafi's Elite Female Bodyguards

Source: Arab Woman Progressive Voice

I've been amusing myself all week by reading articles and blogs on Qaddafi's two European state visits, to both Portugal and France. Then, suddenly, I bumped into a blurb on Qaddafi (perhaps one of the only heads of state with the most "rock star" attitude around these days, (despite Steinmeier and Kuchner's own recent efforts) having an elite, highly-trained corps of all female bodyguards. Intrigues, I had to learn more. Here's what I found:

There's been a recent documentary by a young, NYU film school grad, Lebanese (-American) Rania Ajami who seems set to be an up-and-coming young filmmaker with her diverse interests and subject matter. Entitled Shadows of a Leader: Qaddafi's Female Bodyguards, in which Ajami focuses on how this group of women sets an example for Libyan society and womens' roles within it. In an interview published in the New York Times, Ajami stated:

Source: Sweetnes-light

"'It's showing the notion of the female bodyguard as being these women who are liberated and how it extends to all sectors of society...Bodyguards are really a symbol of this new feminism that exists. One wonders, once Qaddafi is no longer there, will the women still have this future? Do they have a future without him?'

[Ajami] says that while the bodyguards may exude sexuality, it demonstrates modern views on gender equality and family life under the Qaddafi regime. 'They present themselves well. The girls are trained in weaponry, but at the same time they want to look good. I really felt it was more about their pride and confidence. Most of the women who go into it are married with children.'"

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For sure, some of these ladies are real stunners, but they'll stun you, too or "knock you out... if you mess with their supreme leader. Some wear lipstick, jewelry, polished nails, even high heels. Last month, the Western world got a few glimpses of them as they backed up Colonel Qaddafi when he visited European Union officials in Brussels."

And unlike the now unfortunate modern perception of the amazons of antiquity and those who receive this appellation today as being either man haters or sexually craven, violent femme fatales, Lynda Richardson, the author of the NYTimes article writes that:

"yes, Ms. Ajami has heard the speculation of hanky panky between the dictator and his bodyguards. ''The sexual thing makes me mad,'' she says, bristling. ''It's always the thing that people pounce on, and it just didn't exist.''

Now, somewhat in contrast to how Ajami perceives these highly-trained female guards, Lynn Harris writes in her article "Killer Bodies" :

"If Qaddafi ever wants his transformation [as a "legitimate" head of state, recognized by the international community] to be complete, he'll have to do something not only about his country's ongoing human rights abuses (see Amnesty International), but also his trademark posse of female bodyguards. Everywhere he goes, he's surrounded by a badass bunch of Lara Croft clones, usually in matching colored camouflage (of dubious use in the desert). They've been described as 'wearing their Kalashnikovs like Gucci fashion accessories.' (Yes, news articles always describe that they're wearing. Not like you ever hear the AP mention the "navy wool, three-button, notched-lapel suits" of the Secret Service.) On a good day, the bodyguards make Qaddafi look like Hef. On a bad day, a Bond villain. On every day, a crackpot.

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You might argue, hey, at least the "Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution" is employing and arming women, trusting them with the most important responsibility in the entire nation — i.e., him. Or that female bodyguards, fetishistic though they may be, are a little higher on the objectification ladder than, say, women dressed as schoolgirls. And yes, they do seem to be more than an armed harem: they're trained in weaponry; they "brawl" with Egyptian security men; they step into the line of fire. (The woman said to be Qaddafi's top bodyguard reportedly took a bullet for him in Athens in 1998). Naïve as it may sound, there's reason to believe — as you'll see — that among Qaddafi's options for sexual companionship, these are not the women who'd be asked to multitask. And believe it or not, when it comes to the ladies, some of Qaddafi's policies over the years have, arguably, been a half-step or so above abysmal. All told, a mini-overview of Qaddafi's oddly mixed record on women shows the Colonel to be even weirder about them than meets the eye.

Read the article to learn more...For a blog post on more of Qaddafi's thoughts about women, read Arab Woman Progressive Voice.

I'm not sure what to think about the subject, and I wonder how much of these two women's point of views and stand on what this female garde de corps represents have anything to do with their cultural backgrounds. What do you think?