Islamist rebels in Mali have attacked one of the most famous mosques Sidi Yahia in the historic city of Timbuktu. The Islamist group Ansar Dine vowed to destroy all mosques.
The Ansar Dine Islamist group have links to al-Qaeda – a global Islamic terrorist organization. The Ansar Dine have attacked and damaged the 15th-century Timbuktu’s Sidi Yahia mosque in Mali and they have already destroyed several of the city’s shrines.
For more than 15 years, five times a day, imam Aphadi Wangara has led prayers at Sidi Yahya mosque in Timbuktu, one of 3 in the ancient Malian desert town. One day before attack on Sidi Yahia mosque, a group of Islamist militants called Ansar Dine had appeared outside the clay-coated mosque, armed with pickaxes, hoes and automatic weapons and screaming ‘ Allah Akbar ‘.
They broke down the entrance and destroyed a door of Sidi Yahia mosque, because some people still believe that opening the door will herald misfortune. Some witnesses started crying when they saw the damage. The Islamist rebels, who belong to the al-Qaeda linked Ansar Dine, had already deflowered mausoleums and tombs of local Sufi saints, inducing UNESCO to declare Timbuktu an endangered world inheritance site.
Al-Qaida Linked Islamists Ansar Dine destroyed Timbuktu’s Sidi Yahia Mosque in Mali / UNESCO calls neighboring countries to help the Timbuktu country
The specialized agency of the United Nations UNESCO says it rejects any correlation between its declaration and the vandalism in Timbuktu.
UNESCO has called Mali’s neighboring countries to help with the effort to preclude the black-market sales of artifacts from these sites, and United Nations army intervention is currently being sought to help steady the Mali’s country before more damage can be inflicted.
Lazare Eloundou Assomo – a chief of the Africa unit at UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, has commented : ‘ Would you have UNESCO remain silent about this? No. It’s crucial that we declare that these sites are important to the entire world and it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect them ‘. She said that it is only normal that UNESCO and other international entities would denounce this destruction of what is world heritage.
Ansar Dine Islamists rebels destroyed historic sites in Timbuktu / Islamic militants took control of northern Mali
In a third day of attacks on historic and religious landmarks in Mali, the Islamist rioters targeted the ancient Sidi Yahya mosque as they tried to erase traces of what they regard as un-Islamic idolatry.
The recent rampage on the Timbuktu shrines has triggered worldwide condemnation. One Malian resident has said he is troubled that the international clamor over the destruction of objects has surpassed attention paid to the people, who have been suffering for a few months.
UNESCO expressed concern about Timbuktu’s ancient mosques and mausoleums earlier on in the Malian crisis. Two months ago, just a few weeks after Tuareg separatists and Islamic militants took control of northern Mali. Armed men desecrated one of the shrines.
Timbuktu’s ancient monuments pillaged by Islamists
For years before the north of Mali became a main base for a derivative of al-Qaida terrorists group. Timbuktu was a must-see for backpackers and package tour groups. Much of the city thrived on tourism, from young men who memorized the history of the tombs and details of the ancient manuscripts to in order to act as tour guides to the numerous hotels, nearly all of which are now shuttered.
The historian from Timbuktu wants less talk and more action. A resident of Mali said : ‘ When it comes to terrorists, the more the international community butts in, the more atrocities these groups commit.The world must stop talking and act. ‘
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