Our Friends In Benghazi

Gaddafi or no Gaddafi, there remains a very strong Italian influence in at least urban or elite Libyan culture. But does not at least one third of the population adhere to the Senussi synthesis of Salafism and popular Sufism? Yes, it does. Benghazi, scene of much current unrest, is the historic centre of the Senussi Order. And from that base, it fought with the Allies against the Axis. Its Chief, King Idris, remained steadfastly pro-British, so much so that he ended up with the GBE even though Libya was never part of the British Empire. Despite the presence of a major American air base, Idris's Libya even supported Britain over Suez.

As with all these uprisings, we know what they are against, but of what are they in favour? Where do they stand on ties to Britain? Libya is historically closer to Britain than are several recent recruits to the Commonwealth, although their accession indicates, as they themselves have made clear, that they most urgently desire such links in the present age. Where do they stand on social justice, including wealth distribution? Where do they stand on the status of the indigenous Christians? There are Copts in Libya, plus a bishopric for Catholics of Italian extraction in Tripoli, another for Catholics of Maltese extraction in Benghazi, and a small number of Anglican labourers with roots south of the Sahara, a fact bearing witness to historic ties to the British Empire. And where do they stand on that to which indigenous Christians bear witness, namely the Hellenistic and then the variously Byzantine and Latin heritage?

Just as the old ties to France mirror and match those to Syria in the case of Lebanon, so the new ties to Iran would be naturally mirrored and matched by new ties to Britain; the new Lebanese coalition is ideally placed and constituted to pursue those agenda. Following the exposure of Fatah's willingness to sell out Christian Jerusalem, a Declaration of Independence on behalf of the whole state created on both sides of the Jordan in 1948, and necessarily organised by Hamas, should appear over the names of, among others, the leaders of the Twelve Tribes of Christian Palestine, placing the new state under the protection of, among others, all the world's Christian monarchs and every country that defined itself as fundamentally Christian.

With Officer Cadets already passing out from Sandhurst, Commonwealth membership would be a formality, but the Declaration should nevertheless lay specific claim to it as part of a wider affirmation of the formative Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Latino-Frankish and British influences, among others. Closely connected to this is the need for a memorial to those killed by Irgun, Lehi and all the rest of them, to be blessed in the sight of the BBC by (among others, of course) the Latin Patriarch and the Anglican Archbishop, and with a member of the Royal Family at least invited to attend in order to lay a wreath.

On social justice issues, the Muslim Brotherhood is not what it was, having changed direction to recant the public ownership and the wealth redistribution for which it used to campaign, and to support Mubarak's land reform reversals. But it could easily be talked into changing back, especially since it is by no means clear how convinced the party at large has ever been about these revisions at the top. Remind you of anyone? If Iran, Syria, the Palestinians, and the Lebanese coalition including Hezbollah are anything to go by, then the Copts are very well-placed to strike an excellent deal, in stark contrast to our beloved Israel, Turkey and Mubarak, which is why Tunisia needs watching as the Turkish AKP's little helpers prepare to take over there. And the Muslim Brotherhood, founded by British intelligence in order to agitate against independence, has always enjoyed excellent Foreign Office connections. So, once again, Commonwealth membership beckons, especially for a country which even still has a currency called the pound.