Muammar Gaddafi quotes

Muammar Gaddafi was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and ruler who led Libya for over four decades. Known for his controversial policies and his leadership style, he sought to reshape Libya according to his own vision outlined in the "Green Book." He played a significant role in both regional politics and international affairs until his death. Here are 77 of his quotes:

The times of Arab nationalism and unity are gone forever. These ideas which mobilized the masses are only a worthless currency. Libya has had to put up with too much from the Arabs for whom it has poured forth both blood and money.

Muammar Gaddafi

I am a Bedouin warrior who brought glory to Libya and will die a martyr.

Muammar Gaddafi

There is no state with a democracy except Libya on the whole planet.

Muammar Gaddafi

Man's freedom is lacking if somebody else controls what he needs, for need may result in man's enslavement of man.

Muammar Gaddafi

When everyone is part of the people's congress, what need is there for an opposition? Opposition to what? You oppose a government! If there is no government, and the people govern themselves on their own, what are they going to oppose? Something that isn't there?

Muammar Gaddafi

The black people's struggle has vanquished racism. It was God who created colour. Today Obama, a son of Kenya, a son of Africa, has made it in the United States of America.

Muammar Gaddafi

We will fight in every valley, in every street, in every oasis, and every town. We won't surrender again; we are not women; we will keep fighting.

Muammar Gaddafi

I have nothing but scorn for the notion of an Islamic bomb. There is no such thing as an Islamic bomb or a Christian bomb. Any such weapon is a means of terrorizing humanity, and we are against the manufacture and acquisition of nuclear weapons. This is in line with our definition of-and opposition to-terrorism.

Muammar Gaddafi

There are serious mistakes, among them the one saying that Jesus came as a messenger for other people other than the sons of Israel.... Christianity is not a faith for people in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Other people who are not sons of Israel have nothing to do with that religion.... It is a mistake that another religion exists alongside Islam. There is only one religion which is Islam after Mohammed.... All those believers who do not follow Islam are losers.

Muammar Gaddafi

Popular congresses are the only means to achieve popular democracy. Any system of government other than popular congresses is undemocratic.

Muammar Gaddafi

I have nothing to say to him [Ronald Reagan], because he is mad. He is foolish. He is an Israeli dog.

Muammar Gaddafi

Let the free people of the world know that we could have bargained over and sold out our cause in return for a personal secure and stable life. We received many offers to this effect but we chose to be at the vanguard of the confrontation as a badge of duty and honour.

Muammar Gaddafi

Israel is a colonialist-imperialist phenomenon. There is no such thing as an Israeli people. Before 1948, world geography knew of no state such as Israel. Israel is the result of an invasion, of aggression.

Muammar Gaddafi

We have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe-without swords, without guns, without conquest-will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades.

Muammar Gaddafi

Americans are good people. They have no aggressions against us and they like us as we like them. They must know I don't hate them. I love them.... I hear it is a complex society inside. Many Americans don't know about the outside world. The majority have no concern and no information about other people. They could not even find Africa on a map. I think Americans are good, but America will be taken over and destroyed from the inside by the Zionist lobby. The Americans do not see this. They are getting decadent. Zionists will use this to destroy them.

Muammar Gaddafi

[Somali maritime violence] is a response to greedy Western nations, who invade and exploit Somalia's water resources illegally. It is not a piracy, it is self defence. It is defending the Somalia children's food.

Muammar Gaddafi

We believe America is practicing all kinds of terrorism against Libya. Even the accusation that we are involved in terrorism is in itself an act of terrorism.

Muammar Gaddafi

Lincoln was a man who created himself from nothing without any help from outside or other people. I followed his struggles. I see certain similarities between him and me.

Muammar Gaddafi

I won't be a party to a conspiracy to mobilize the Arabs against the Persians. Only the forces of colonialism benefit from such a conspiracy. I won't be a party to a conspiracy that splits Islam into two - Shiite Islam and Sunni Islam – mobilizing Sunni Islam against Shiite Islam.

Muammar Gaddafi

Africa is closer to me in every way than Iraq or Syria.

Muammar Gaddafi

The integrity of China was more important than [the people] in Tiananmen Square.

Muammar Gaddafi

In the Middle East, the opposition is quite different than the opposition in advanced countries. In our countries, the opposition takes the form of explosions, assassinations, killings.

Muammar Gaddafi