The world has looked on and cheered as rebel forces have built momentum against the oppressive dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s more than 40-year regime in Libya.
The progress has especially hit home for petroleum engineering sophomore Ibrahim Matri as his family and friends are caught in the crevices of change.
Matri, a Libyan international student, spent his high school years in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, where his family still resides. When rebel forces stormed Tripoli on Aug. 21, it meant Matri could, for the first time, speak candidly to his family without worrying about phones being hacked by prying Gadhafi officials searching for people rallying against him.
“That was probably one of the happiest days of my life,” Matri said.
Libya has been entrapped in a whirlwind of violence and political uprising during the past several months, as “revolutionaries,” as Matri calls them, have started rioting and resisting Gadhafi’s stronghold on the country. Until now, Matri said, no one could speak openly about politics or Gadhafi without risking his or her life.
“People were so scared to say anything against him,” Matri said, “even with their