Northern Mali - Militants Destroy Timbuktu Islamic Shrines

DAKAR In northern Mali , users of the Islamic militant group Ansar Dine are systematically doing damage to mausoleums plus revered Muslim tombs inside Timbuktu. UNESCO has listed the ancient city as a World Heritage site for its historic mosques and shrines.

Residents associated with Timbuktu shared with VOA that television guys out of Ansar Dine initiated leveling the tombs quick Saturday morning. The sites, including the grave regarding 15th-century Muslim scholar Sidi Mahmoud, are regarded as sacred because of the community population. Hardline Islamist organizations including Ansar Dine context like shrines while sacrilegious, but the sites usually are a crucial portion of worship for Muslims round the world.

Anthadi Oumar Ascofar was given birth to with Timbuktu 64 many years ago, and he / she spoken in order to VOA through there. Armed gentlemen encircled shrines plus cemeteries within the city, while other people damaged tombs along with axes, shovels and machetes, he said. It will be debilitating for individuals to observe this kind of destruction, however considering that all of us are generally unarmed we all cannot react. Assoumane Ma ga can be a indigenous connected with Timbuktu currently based in the particular capital, Bamako. He said he / she obtained calling throughout Saturday daybreak coming from persons in Timbuktu who wanted to help coordinate to halt the actual destruction. However, Ma ga said, he had been told in which Ansar Dine's mma fighters vulnerable actual physical beatings convey accumulating in your number of more in comparison with three or some people. The shrines are a strong vital component of Timbuktu's Muslim culture, Ma ga says: Every Friday most of people out of Timbuktu generally go towards cemeteries within the early on morning to help pray. Today it vertisements just like that you're choosing a component with the heart and soul of each and every single man or women around Timbuktu."

Mali ersus interim authorities condemned that dangerous rage with present with Timbuktu. In your statement Saturday afternoon, authorities in Bamako mentioned this desecration in addition to damage associated with shrines amounts to be able to war crimes, plus vowed to go after the perpetrators, perhaps inside the International Criminal Court. The communique mentioned the particular physical violence within Timbuktu had nothing to do with Islam, and added, The Malian people will go on for you to attack these reactionary practices of which fly while in the face involving morality along with cultural values.

The harm for the ancient mausoleums will come just days after the United Nations national agent put Timbuktu on its all the list sites which can be with danger. UNESCO verts World Heritage Committee urged that African Union as well as worldwide town to assist protect Timbuktu and their 16 ancient mausoleums. During days gone by week Ansar Dine along with Islamic communities in north Mali struggled using separatist Tuareg rebels with the National Movement regarding the Liberation of Azawad, or MNLA. The Islamists became popular throughout driving that MNLA out of the main upper metropolitan areas of Gao along with Timbuktu. Ansar Dine swept straight into north Mali ninety days ago, battling with Tuaregs campaigning pertaining to a great self-sufficient state. Ansar Dine includes said its objective is just not an split state inside north Mali, but the practical application of strict Islamic legislation through the entire western African nation.