Libya Declares Independence but Gadhafi’s Remains Still on Display

After 42 years, Libya’s new leaders announced its liberation from the one-man rule of Moammar Gadhafi, whose body remains on public display in Misrata and with no burial plans.

Abdel Rahman el-Qeesy, a lawyer, announced the liberation and creation of a new government:

“We are the Libyans. We have shown you who we are Gaddafi, you Pharaoh of the times. You have fallen into the garbage bin of history.”

An official who opened the ceremony in Benghazi, the place where the uprising erupted in February and which has been the headquarters for the NTC, declared:

“We declare to the whole world that we have liberated our beloved country, with its cities, villages, hilltops, mountains, deserts and skies.”

The United Nations said that it would help build a new Libya. Major countries, including the US welcomed the declaration of independence.

Other than the urgent need to rebuild the country, one pressing issue is the coming up of a clear plan for Gadhafi’s burial. Some Muslims are worried that Gadhafi has not been given the kind of burial demanded by Islam.

What should Libya do with Gadhafi’s remains?