Ancient African Cities' Religious Cites Under Attack By Jihadists

[kandace]

Islamist rebels smashed the entrance of a 15th-century Timbuktu mosque, while their Al-Qaeda allies in northern Mali cut off the key city of Gao by planting landmines all around it. In Timbuktu, rebels from the Al-Qaeda-allied Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) group continued their destruction of the city's cultural treasures, defying a chorus of international condemnation.

A west African source also confirmed that landmines had been planted around Gao "to prevent a possible attack by troops" from the west African regional bloc ECOWAS as well as a possible counter-offensive from Tuareg fighters.

In Timbuktu, militants from Ansar Dine who occupied Mali's vast north three months ago destroyed seven tombs of ancient Muslim saints they consider idolatrous over the weekend.
A spokesman said they were acting in the name of God and would "destroy every mausoleum in the city. All of them, without exception".

[Baltimatt]

A spokesman said they were acting in the name of God and would "destroy every mausoleum in the city. All of them, without exception".

http://www.christiancentury.org/arti...disturbing-why

For example, Muslims believe that after death their bodies will slowly disintegrate, except the tailbone, which on the day of resurrection will regenerate into the complete human being. For that reason, most Muslims reject cremation because it destroys the tailbone, making resurrection impossible. Still others believe that the resurrected body will appear as it did at the moment of death, and for that reason they fear and condemn desecration of the dead.

Within Islam, desecration of enemy war dead was forbidden by the Prophet Muhammad himself. When warriors mutilated dead Muslim soldiers during one battle, Muhammad commanded his soldiers not to do the same. At another battle, the opposing army offered to pay Muslims for the return of one of its famed warriors. Muhammad responded, "I do not sell dead bodies. You can take away the corpse of your fallen comrade."

Are they even following Islamic teaching?

[kandace]

Baltimatt:

The attacks of the graves are primarily motivated by the desire of the strict, Wahhabi style Jihadists to stamp out local veneration of Islamic saints tombs. The West African veneration of saints tombs, is merely an extension of the veneration of living marabouts, or Muslim holy men, has long been a source of annoyance/disgust/disdain by more strict Islamic movements. The West African Marabout is an Islamic figure who essentially is a fortune teller/spiritual guide/exorcist/etc., in other words, a veneer of Islam is placed on traditional African practices.
In other words, the Jihadists are attempting to uproot and stamp out the looser, less strict Islam and replace it with a more Saudi style Islam.

[zenwalk]

I suggest we invade, spend a trillion dollars blowing holes in sand and get every country in Africa to hate our guts then declare victory.

[soulflower]

Radical Muslims have been doing these kinds of things for centuries in Africa and Asia

[gawnfishing]

Manufactured "news" designed to create outrage, courtesy of those who control the media.

[Baltimatt]

Manufactured "news" designed to create outrage, courtesy of those who control the media.

Welcome to the board. Could you please elaborate?

Kandace--

While Muslims oppose depictions of Muhammad, the Shi'ites seem to love huge pictures of their various imams.

[kandace]

Welcome to the board. Could you please elaborate?

Kandace--

While Muslims oppose depictions of Muhammad, the Shi'ites seem to love huge pictures of their various imams.

Indeed, that is a major source of tension between Shia and Sunni Islam.

[zenwalk]

While Muslims oppose depictions of Muhammad, the Shi'ites seem to love huge pictures of their various imams.

That's a real interesting point. I wonder how they make that leap from an image robbing someone of their vital essences (or whatever the prob is) to a modern political poster of the sainted loudmouth du jour? No bloody idea.