Islamist Militants Attack Timbuktu Shrines. What's Next?

July 01, 2012 from Newsy

Members of the Islamist militant group Ansar Dine, or "Protectors of the Faith," are continuing to desecrate Sufi Shrines in the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu. The group, linked to Al-Qaeda, is seeking to impose Sharia law and views the shrines as "un-Islamic." Both UNESCO and the International Criminal Court have condemned the attacks on the World Heritage Site.

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Ansar Dine

Ansar Dine means "helpers of the religion" or "defenders of the faith" in Arabic. Ansar Dine is a militant Islamist group led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, one of the most prominent leaders of the Tuareg rebellion in the 1990s. He is suspected of having ties with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic M... Explore this topic

Timbuktu

Тимбукту је град у западноафричкој држави Мали с 32.414 становника. У овом граду је верски универзитет Санкор и друге медресе. Град је био културни и духовни центар одакле се ислам ширио у Африку у 15. и 16. веку. На ово златно доба подсећају три џамије, Ђингарејбер, Санкоре и... Explore this topic

Islamism

Islamism is a set of ideologies holding that "Islam should guide social and political as well as personal life". Islamism is a controversial neologism, and definitions of it sometimes vary. Leading Islamist thinkers emphasize the implementation of Sharia; of pan-Islamic politi... Explore this topic

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal... Explore this topic

World Heritage Site

A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World... Explore this topic

Sharia

Sharia is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. Though interpretations of sharia v... Explore this topic

Sufism

Sufism or taṣawwuf is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī. They belong to different ṭuruq or "orders"—congregations formed around a master—which meet for spiritual sessions, in meetin... Explore this topic

International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Explore this topic

Islam

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God and by the teachings and normative example of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called ... Explore this topic

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaida ist ein loses, weltweit operierendes Terrornetzwerk meist sunnitischer dschihadistischer Organisationen, das seit 1993 zahlreiche Terroranschläge in mehreren Staaten verübt hat, und mit zahlreichen weltpolitischen Ereignissen im Zusammenhang steht. Viele der von dem N... Explore this topic

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Ansar Dine

Islamism

Timbuktu

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