More Destruction of Ancient Sites In Timbuktu By Islamists

Ansar Dine, Mali's al-Qaeda linked extremists are following through with their promise to eventually destroy every ancient treasure in Timbuktu. It started in June with the destruction of several tombs of Muslim saints considered part of the United Nations (UNESCO) world heritage sites. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM) had already destroyed the tomb of Sidi Mahmoud in May, now four more mausoleums  have been destroyed. Although historic, thankfully these were not part of UNESCO's list of treasures.

The director of Mali's Timbuktu tourism office, Sane Chirfi, said that Ansar Dine rebels linked to Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) tore down the mausoleums... [snip]  The mausoleums housed the remains of Muslim scholars and teachers who are revered by the Timbuktu population. Since taking control of Timbuktu earlier this year, the militants have destroyed seven of the 16 mausoleums listed as world heritage sites. Some date back to the 14th century.

According to many residents, the destruction of the graves is the rebels' reaction to the recent UN resolution calling for an international military intervention to remove the rebels from northern Mali.

Some believe the ramped up destruction is in response to the UN's approval of a 3,300 African Union-led military intervention to take back the north, but Abou Dardar of Ansar Dine says it's because  "Allah doesn't like it."  The mausoleums, that is. Apparently they're un-Islamic because "Man should only worship Allah," so says an AQIM militant who lives in Timbuktu. Both groups are intent on destroying all historical sites in the city.

Dardar said:

"Not a single mausoleum will remain in Timbuktu..." [snip] "We are in the process of smashing all the hidden mausoleums in the area."

And in Gao, where another militant group- the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) has taken control- they've been busy chopping off people's hands, as allowed per Shariah law. According to Moctar Barry of MUJAO:

"We cut off the hands of two people on Friday. Eight others will soon share the same fate."  [snip]

His claims were confirmed by witnesses, with one resident saying the amputees had committed theft. "I saw one of them, they gave him an injection before the amputation. He cried out. Both amputees are now at the hospital," another resident told AFP.

And again, the calls for the international community to do something about the problem, roll in:

Gao lawmaker Abdou Sidibe blamed the amputations on "the international community's laxness," saying its indecision over whether to intervene to reconquer Mali's north were making the rebels feel invincible.

"The international community needs to know that it is its hesitation over intervening, or no, in northern Mali that is encouraging the rebels to show they are at home and are not afraid of anything," Sidibe said.

We know what happens when the international community hesitates.

Welcome to Islamic supremacy, imperialism and jihad. But most people won't care because it's just Africa. Very sad.




 Other sources: France 24

Mali Islamist Militants Ban Secular Western Music

Muslim extremists are slowly taking over Africa. Northern Mali, home of the famed city of Timbuktu, struggled with an Islamic insurgency, and sadly lost. It is now run by Islamists and they're starting to establish Shariah law there. Women have already been forced to wear head scarves, and now the only music that will be allowed on the air waves must be religious in nature. Singing Quranic verses is okay, everything else is banned. That means no Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber allowed because Western non-Muslim lyrics are Satanic.

The spokesperson for the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), Oussama Ould Abdel Kader, said that:

“We, the mujahideen of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal from now on refuse the broadcasting of all western music on radios on Islamic land."

“We have already spoken to people who own the radio stations. We no longer want Satan’s music. Instead there must be verses of the Koran. Western music is Satanic music.”

because

“sharia demands it.”

Although MUJAO only rules Gao, Kader was speaking on behalf of all the lovely al-Qaeda-linked jihadists including Ansar Dine that have overrun that region like rats since the March 22, 2012 military coup. Thanks to that coup, the Mali northerners' lives have changed, for the worse.

Besides banning smoking and drinking,and forcing women to wear hijab,

In recent weeks the Islamists have stepped up the application of sharia, stoning an unmarried couple to death and cutting off the hand of a thief.

They also systematically destroyed ancient treasures in Timbuktu, which happened to be Islamic.

Mali is headed the route of Somalia, at least the al-Shabaab run areas.

Very sad.

Islamists Destroy Ancient Timbuktu Treasures

Nothing is sacred with extremist Muslims, including their own religious heritage. Back in April hardline Ansar Dine took over the northern region of Mali promising to turn the country into an Islamic state. UNESCO was extremely worried at the time about what might happen to Timbuktu and its ancient architectural wonders, so it placed the world heritage site on an endangered list. Those worries, apparently, were totally founded. Little did they know that by doing so, they would prompt the Islamists to destroy what UNESCO was trying to protect.

They started off with the tombs of various Muslim saints, and have threatened to destroy all the other religious shrines in the ancient city.

“They have raped Timbuktu today. It is a crime,” said a source close to a local imam in the town known as the “City of 333 Saints”.

“This is tragic news for us all,” Alissandra Cummins, chair of UNESCO’s executive committee, said in a statement to AFP in Russia, where the body is meeting this week, describing the attacks as “wanton damage”.

“I appeal to all those engaged in the conflict in Timbuktu to exercise their responsibility.”

According to Sanda Ould Boumama, spokesman for Ansar Dine,

“Ansar Dine will today destroy every mausoleum in the city. All of them, without exception.”

Why? Because the supremely ignorant thugs are pissed off that UNESCO put Timbuktu on the endangered list.

“God is unique. All of this is haram (or forbidden in Islam). We are all Muslims. UNESCO is what?” he said, declaring that Ansar Dine -- which wants to impose sharia law in the region -- was acting “in the name of God.”

What? One would think they'd be elated that a Western organization would be interested in saving the 'seat of Islamic learning', but no.

Sadly, they aren't the first to destroy a world heritage treasure in Timbuktu, al-Qaeda had already destroyed the tomb of Sidi Mahmoud in May. Ansar Dine just finished off the mausoleum.

“As I am speaking to you, Islamists from Ansar Dine have destroyed the mausoleum of saint Sidi Mahmoud,” one witness told AFP.

“They are now in the process of destroying the mausoleum (of Sidi Moctar),” added a local journalist. “They have said they will destroy everything.”

Home to three mosques, 16 cemeteries and mausolea and 100,000 manuscripts, a piece of ancient history could be wiped out in no time. Islamists have destroyed other ancient monuments, like the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, but one would think they would want to preserve their own religious treasures.
Countries that might try to intervene have been warned not to get involved.

Veils For Women in Timbuktu- Islamists Take Over More Than Half of Mali

A struggle between secular democracies and Islamism is on the rise in the Middle East, parts of Asia and Africa. The latest country to succumb to the battle is Mali. The West African nation (of Timbuktu fame), was recently subjected to a military coup, after 21 years or so of a constitutional democracy. Considered relatively stable (until now), Mali has a population that's 90% Muslim. And though a secular state with a constitution that allows for freedom of religion, that's rapidly changing.

Troubles began in early 2012 in the north with a separatist group, comprised of the Tuareg (Berber nomad) peoples, who want to liberate the Azawad region of northern Mali (where Timbuktu is located) from the Mali government. The Islamists, Ansar Dine, want Mali to become an Islamic state. The coup was in response to President Amadou Toumani Touré's  failure to handle the insurgency,  but that in itself has made the situation in the African nation ten times worse.  In fact, the coup has allowed Tuareg rebels and Islamists in the north to take over half of the country, and the Islamists are working rapidly to establish their religious agenda, including forcing women in Timbuktu to wear veils.

Islamists seized control of the ancient trading hub Timbuktu over the weekend alongside Tuareg rebels and have since chased out their allies and declared to residents and religious leaders that they were imposing sharia law.

This sparked alarm abroad ahead of an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on Mali, with Paris expressing concern over the Islamist threat in a country considered a democratic success until the coup.

The Tuareg rebels want an independent state while Ansar Dine which has seized Timbuktu wants to impose Islamic law and has linked up with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told AFP the two were “closely tied” and Ansar Dine’s “goals are not clear, but it may be to install an Islamic regime across the whole of Mali.”

Three of the four leaders of al-Qaeda’s north Africa branch, Abou Zeid, Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Yahya Abou Al-Hammam, were in Timbuktu on Tuesday, security and religious sources in the city said.

Residents reported women in the normally secular city that hosted a major music festival in January were on Tuesday wearing headscarves.

In spite of sanctions and calls for the junta to relinquish power immediately, no-one's budging, yet.  The coup leaders claim they don't want to stay in power forever, and are calling for a "national convention" set for April 5, to discuss the transition back to civilian rule. But the longer they wait to settle things, the worse the situation will get.  The rise of Islamism in Mali wasn't the result of a thirst for democracy that turned sour, like the Arab Spring; the country already had a democratic, secular society, and President  Toure' wasn't a Mubarak.   In this case, the military facilitated the takeover by Islamists through their coup d'etat, and any further delay will allow the Islamists to claim more territory.

UNESCO (the U.N.'s cultural agency) is worried about what might happen to Timbuktu's "outstanding architectural wonders”,  and though that is worrisome, what I fear the most is the loss of freedom, for women in particular, in an Islamic state.