A WELL-KNOWN Dublin music store proprietor has spoken of his anguish at being separated from his Libyan-based wife. Ramadan Bettamer, popularly known as Ram or DJ Ram, told Metro Éireann that he recently applied for an emergency visa for his Benghazi-based wife as civil unrest continues in their native Libya.
Bettamer, now an Irish citizen, married his wife in December 2008 but a subsequent visa application for her to join him in Ireland was refused.
According to Bettamer, the reasons cited were insufficient funds in his account and apparent doubts about the authenticity of the relationship. An appeal in July 2009 was refused and another application was made in February 2010. In recent weeks, he has applied for an emergency visa through his solicitor.
The music store owner told Metro Éireann that his culture diverts from the Irish dating style in that couples marry much sooner after meeting, subject to their families’ approval.
“I’m afraid of anything happening to her,” he said, “and I would blame Ireland for that [if it did]. She misses me like hell, and I miss her like hell.”
He said his wife is “afraid like everyone else”, and is worried about her relatives in Misrata, which is being besieged by forces loyal to Colonel Gadaffi, who has ruled Libya since September 1969.
Benghazi, where Bettamer’s wife is living, is under the control of anti-Gadaffi forces.
The Dublin-based man said Libyan people opposed to their controversial leader “had to take up arms” to withstand the “extreme force” meted out by Gadaffi forces.
He said the support of Nato allies, which are backed by a UN resolution to protect Libyan civilians, was “desperately needed”, and that Gadaffi has “controlled everything” in Libya during his reign, from the TV programmes people watch to its national soccer team.
Bettamer said he doesn’t fear foreign dominance if the Gadaffi regime is toppled. “Nobody is going to fool us again, we’re very intelligent people.”
In February, inspired by events in Tunisia, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world, protests in Libya turned into a general uprising.
In a televised address during the protests, Gadaffi claimed that he had “not yet ordered the use of force” but that when did, “everything will burn”.
