It was quite worrisome to see the behaviour of the Libya’s freedom fighters during the capture and killing of the dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Instead of taking him to court, the rebels shot him to death as he pleaded for mercy, according to some media reports. After killing him, they dragged his body into the streets and then put it on a display for people to make a mockery of it and take pictures.

Even though he was a ruthless dictator with blood on his hands, decency dictates that his body should have been treated with some dignity and buried according to the nation's customs. Islamic teachings prohibit the desecration of the deceased, no matter who the person was, or how evil he had been.

The question is, if these rebels are capable of behaving in this callous manner, one wonders what they are capable of doing next. Do their actions tell us about their values and what to expect from them?  Will we witness another ruthless, heartless dictator in the making; one who will be worse than his predecessor? Will the cycle of madness continue?

One would expect civility and discipline from men whose major aim was to gain freedom and dignity for their people. But the behaviour and the manner of approach to the killing of Gaddafi sends mixed messages about the nature of these rebels and their ability to restore peace and order in Libya.

Sometimes people ought to be careful of what they wish for. While everyone first celebrated the departure of the former regime in Somalia, people regretted their wish soon after the former president was gone because the forces that filled the power vacuum were human savages.

I lived in the country when the General Siad Barre was ousted. I was in a small town south of Mogadishu. The same day when the regime fell, the thugs started looting and creating havoc everywhere. They even did not show any respect to women, as they raped them inside places of worship.  It was a nightmare – beyond belief and human imagination.

To this day, many Somalis -- excluding warlords and those who benefit from the chaos -- would prefer to live in peace under the former regime, rather than have the murderers rule the country. And now, the southern part of Somalia, where I am from, has received another curse. A group of religious fanatics called Al Shabbab have emerged. They consider all other Somalis and Muslims who don’t ascribe to their beliefs to be infidels. They have been waging atrocities not only against the living but also the dead, by demolishing graveyards and removing the remains of the dead. They don’t accept any diversity in human thought or character. It is either their way or death.

I wish the people of Libya well but I am pessimistic about their future after having seen the rebels behaving in a manner reminiscent of Gaddafi himself. I hope the Libyans will not be like Somalis who wish they had never seen their former dictator go.

- Abubakar N. Kasim - Toronto ■