Omar al mukhtar, born in the year 1856, is known in modern Libya as the heroic martyr who sacrificed his life while trying to liberate Libya from Italian colonization. As a child, Omar AL Mukhtar had lived in the region of Cyrenaica, which was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. He had also lost his father at a young age and lived much of his youth in poverty. However, it would not only change the course of his tribe, his country and his people, but also the world of Libyan Muslims in the postcolonial era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Shortly after the death of his father, Omar al Mukhtar, at the age of 16, was entrusted to the care and guardianship of one of the sheikhs in his hometown. As he grew up, he developed a lifestyle where he slept only three hours a day to stay awake the rest of the day worshiping God. He ended up memorizing the entire Quran and reciting it every week. This led people to see him as a humble and deeply religious man. He earned the name "Lion of the Desert" by defending the people he was traveling with in Sudan from a lion blocking their path. Instead of allowing his people to give up a camel, which was a prized possession at the time, to the lion, he took a horse and a rifle and chased the lion. Finally he returned with the lion's head. This highlighted his courage and maturity at that time. His 1950s were marked by the dawn of Italian colonization (1911-1943) of Libya. At a time when the world was controlled by European powers, Omar Al Mukhtar stood firm in favor of Islam and faced Libya's Italian colonizers with great courage in the face of danger. He had fought fiercely against the French with a group called the Banu Sanus, who would later be known as the Sanusies. In short, they also fought against the English. As part of a global “celebration,” Italy joined European nations in wreaking havoc in the southern part of the Northern Hemisphere by colonizing Libya. It was during this period that Omar Al Mukhtar gathered his forces to face an attack on Libya, his homeland. Although Al Mukhtar was offered large sums of money to pacify this resistance, he refused and responded with this quote: “I am not a sweet morsel of a meal that anyone can swallow. No matter how long they try to change my belief and opinion, Allah will disappoint them.” They then suggested that he leave his hometown to live closer to the ruling party on a monthly salary, but he again refused, saying, “No, I will not leave my country until I meet my lord. Death is closer to me than anything else, I wait for it every minute." The Sanusi, Muhammad az-Zaway, who once fought with him against the French, attempted to persuade him to retreat to Egypt with the rest of those he had fought against the French. However, he refused to turn his back on the enemy knowing full well that his chances were slim against a force that was expanding by the minute. He and his companions defended themselves until only he and one of his companions remained. In the end the his horse was killed beneath him, causing him to fall to the ground in chains and taken to a city called Suluq, where the Italian military post was located. Al Mukhtar believed that Jihad, which is defined as a holy war waged in the name of the. Islam as a religious duty, had been ordered to every able-bodied Muslim while his homeland was occupied by the colonizers. With his faith, heroism and courage he earned the respect of even his enemies. His hanging took place in front of hundreds of people in 1931. The.