Feature: Eid festival reminds sad Libyans of "good old times"

Mahmoud, 27, a Tripoli citizen said his family might have difficulties in Muslim's traditional festival of Eid al-Adha this year, as the family suffers numerous problems in addition to blasts, terrors amid chaos in the country.

"Power goes out for too many hours everyday. People have to buy electric generators. These generators are expensive and many people cannot afford them. My family purchased a generator for almost 3,000 dinars (about 2,189 U.S. dollars). But it still cannot provide us with sufficient power for our home," said Mahmoud, a translator working in Libya's public sector, said.

Yet the power shortage is far from the biggest headaches for him.

Four years ago, Mahmoud could have a joyful Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, without being worried the security situation in the capital city, as "there's punishment for everyone doing the bad things."

But now the city is plagued with robberies and kidnappings, especially before the festival as some people needs "extra and easy" money, Mahmoud said.

Since the 2011 uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been reduced to a anarchic country, where clashes between militants erupted constantly all over the country.

The capital city Tripoli is now under control by the Islamist armed group Libya Dawn, and the internationally-recognized government is exiled in the eastern town of Tobruk.

"It is very difficult for us as Libyans to enjoy this occasion, or any other occasion, in such conditions. We are always afraid of what might happen any moment. Terrorist bombings, kidnapping, killing, armed robbery, these things prevent us from living a normal live. We didn't experience any of this before 2011," Mahmoud said.

Khalid, a37-year-old father of four, said his biggest trouble was money.

Khalid works as a clerks in the Libyan government, which he declined to disclose details. His salary is often delayed due to the financial difficulties, sometimes he has to wait for months to get his money.

Khalid told Xinhua that he couldn't afford a sheep because his income barely covers the basic needs for his family, so he cannot celebrate Adha like he should.

"There is great price rise in Tripoli. It's very sad. Nowadays, a sheep costs between 350 and up to 900 dinars. Before 2011, the most expensive sheep is about 400. So you can see the difference." Khalid said.

No official inflation rate has been given by Libya's government. Some citizens said the living costs in Libya's major city has risen about one third than before.

The financial situation in the oil-rich North African country has shown little improvement after 2011. The major oil-sector has been hit by unrest. The OPEC member's output is still down around 70 per cent from levels achieved before the political turmoil.

Political conflicts, attacks by extremist group such as IS, worker strikes and sabotage of facilities have also hampered the lifeline of Libya's important revenue.

Khalid told Xinhua a popular saying that has been widely circulated over social media: "Libyan people think the country would become another affluent paradise like Dubai or Qatar after we get rid of Gaddfi. But Libya now has become a joke." Endit