The uprising to end Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year reign has been a bloody one, with the embattled leader refusing to step down and vowing to arrest or kill the people who continue to stream into the streets to fight for freedom. The uprising may lead the country to a more peaceful and democratic future; however, much is still uncertain, and the violence is nothing new. Libyan author and activist Hisham Matar says he hasn’t slept at all since the revolt began. Matar’s father was kidnapped in 1990 and is believed to be held in a prison in Libya ever since. Matar has been struggling to get information out of Libya as he hears the news of brutality against the pro-Democracy movement. As a novelist, he may be moved to write about the events, but it takes a long time to be able to understand and express such a tumultous experience, he explains.
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