Libyan Native Watches Unrest Build From El Paso

Sulaiman Abushagur, 58, prepares Libyan cuisine in the kitchen of Mediterranean Restaurant. He owns the restaurant on North Mesa St. He fled from his home country years ago and settled in El Paso.

Abushagur was a teenager when Moammar Gadhafi assumed power in Libya in 1969. He told ABC-7 he remembered what his country was like before Gadhafi.

“Nice universities, high schools, health, hospitals,” Abushagur said of Libya in the 1960s. “So when this guy came it was ready to bloom even more.”

But that wasn’t the case, he soon learned. Abushagur said one of the first changes he remembers was when Gadhafi changed the schools and universities into military training camps, and was forcing the young people into service. That change forced Abushagur to protest.

“I was booked in jail for 12 days,” Abushagur said. “And I was taken to court and accused of trying to overthrow the government.”

He came to El Paso shortly after leaving Libya in the 1970s. He’s living the American Dream — not only does he own his own restaurant, but he is also a geology professor at El Paso Community College.

He hasn’t returned to Libya since he left 32 years ago, but he keeps in contact with his family who still lives there. Abushagur last spoke to them on Monday.

“They disconnected all communications. You cannot talk to anybody as of yesterday,” he said, adding he had not tried calling them as of Tuesday morning.

This native son is worried, not just for his family, but for all the people fighting for freedom.

“I’m really pleading for all humanitarian agencies from all countries and the United Nations to stop this man from killing almost 7 million, 8 million people. And he will do it,” Abushagur said, eyes wide. “Because literally … this man is insane.”