Sectarian attacks in Iraq and Christian Church bombed in northern Nigeria
Walter Sebastian and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Islamists once more have killed innocents during the religious period of Eid al-Adha, including a bomb attack which killed several children near a play area in the capital of Iraq. In Afghanistan worshippers were killed while praying inside a mosque and in Syria several terrorist attacks have taken place. Meanwhile, in northern Nigeria a Christian church was hit by a bomb attack. Therefore, religious zealots within the Sunni Islamic faith have been going on a killing spree like usual during this holy period for Muslims.
The Iraqi authorities clearly understand the mindset of Islamists because security was tightened. However, despite greater precautions, it is abundantly clear that little can be done to stop determined terrorists from spreading death, hatred and sectarianism. Even laying bombs near a school playground during Eid doesn’t concern Sunni Islamist fanatics who are being indoctrinated by Islamist clerics.
Sadr City in Baghdad is overwhelmingly Shia and the double-bomb attacks left at least 13 people dead. Whereas the attack in the Bawiya area of the same city, killed seven people including the lives of three children who just wanted to play. The death toll may increase further but clearly Muslims and non-Muslims can’t even rest in peace during holy periods. This is because of the hatred of Islamists who lack any notion of morality.
In northern Nigeria the same Islamists which seek power and control by fear, hatred, violence and spreading sectarianism, have once more attacked a Christian church. Sometimes, the same Islamists attack Muslims for desiring peace with their fellow Nigerians. Therefore, just like in Syria, nobody feels protected in certain parts of northern Nigeria from religious zealots which seek to spread chaos, sectarianism and fear. The same menace is now turning against Sufi strands of Islam in northern Mali and Libya, just like hatred is widespread towards the Shia, Ahmadiyya Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others in Pakistan.
It must be remembered, that some Islamist clerics are demanding the slaughter of Alawites and the Shia in Syria. Christians are also attacked by the same religious fanatics who recite the Koran while beheading people and torturing in unbelievable cruelty. Mainstream Sunni Muslims face the same wrath in Syria if they support a united Syria based on the mosaic of this nation.
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, referred to the need that “all churches in the Arabian Peninsula must be destroyed.” Similarly, the same nation is exporting hatred within the educational curriculum and for this reason monitoring is essential. Therefore, it is clear that something is wrong within certain branches of Islam which seek to rule by fear. After all, they have no qualms in killing Muslims and non-Muslims alike in order to fulfill their hatred and spread sectarianism.
Currently it is known that seven people have been killed by a suicide bomber against a Christian church in Kaduna, northern Nigeria. Christians in this church, just like Muslims in the mosque in Afghanistan, were praying to the God of Abraham. However, for Islamists, you have no sanctity to either life or holy places – therefore, both holy places were attacked during Eid.
Several months earlier in June over 50 people were killed in the same part of northern Nigeria after three Christian churches were attacked. This reality meant that security officials in northern Nigeria, just like in Iraq, knew that during Eid that Islamists would try to ferment more hatred. The desire of Islamists is to spread fear in the hearts of all people, irrespective if Muslim or non-Muslim, in order to rule by fear. Likewise, the other objective is to spread sectarianism therefore Shia Muslims are frequently killed and attacked in several nations.
Baseem Mohammed in Bawiya, Baghdad, told AP news that “Nobody expected this explosion because our neighborhood has been living in peace, away from the violence hitting the rest of the capital….We feel sad for the children who thought that they would spend a happy time during Eid, but instead ended up getting killed or hurt.”
The Shabaks in Iraq were also killed in Mosul in the northern part of this country. This minority fully understands religious hatred because many attacks have happened against the Shabaks after the US led invasion of Iraq.
Other attacks by Sunni Islamists in Iraq have also killed Shia Muslims from Iran who were on a religious pilgrimage during Eid. This reality means that mosques, churches, pilgrims, children and so on – are not free from Islamist hatred even during holy Muslim periods like Eid and Ramadan.
Libya and Mali: Salafi Islamists destroying shrines courtesy of Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Libya and Mali: Salafi Islamists destroying shrines courtesy of Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The “bomb democracy” Western and Gulf policy in Libya brought on the massacres of black Africans, killing of Gaddafi loyalists and creating a “new society” based on disorder which is currently ongoing. Indeed, the chaos which is engulfing Libya is now destabilizing Northern Mali and creating problems for Tunisia. This destabilization is based on vast quantities of military hardware being available and more dangerously the Salafi ideology is spreading because of money from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Salafi ideology is now intent on destroying Sufi shrines in Libya, Northern Mali, Somalia, and in other parts of the world, where this dangerous ideology fused within a faith is growing in power. In their worldview all other Muslim places of worship and Muslim shrines are deemed to be un-Islamic. This blind hatred can be seen in places like Somalia where all converts to Christianity face death by Islamists in this country.
This isn’t surprising because Saudi Arabia supports killing all apostates to Christianity and not one single Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and Christian place of worship is allowed. However, just like old men marrying little children in Saudi Arabia and both Qatar and Saudi Arabia supporting terrorism against Syria. Nothing appears to raise the heckles when it comes to the policies of London, Paris, Washington and other governments which throw human rights out of the window when dealing with Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The appeasement of institutional religious discrimination in Saudi Arabia and trampling down on the rights of women is a policy which is “cheapening” democracy. Likewise, this appeasement shames the United Nations and the various bodies connected with this major international institution.
Turning back to Libya and Northern Mali then currently Salafists are intent on destroying all Islamic thought patterns outside of their “blinkered monoculture” which thrives on hatred and fear. Indeed, in Syria some video evidence survives which makes it clear that the Western and Islamist “marriage of convenience” is now spreading this dangerous ideology within Syria. Therefore, mainstream Islam and religious minorities have much to fear in Syria but like usual political leaders in London, Paris and Washington will support any form of barbarity providing it meets their geopolitical ambitions.
Ongoing attacks against Sufi shrines which venerate Sufi Muslim saints in Libya are now under attack. The same Islamists destroyed a Christian graveyard in this country. These blatant crimes of destroying culture and attacking the diversity within Islam are now in full flow in the capital of Libya just like they reached Northern Mali.
The shrine of al-Shaab al-Dahmani in Tripoli follows on from the attack which took place in Ziltan against the tomb of a notable scholar who enriched the Sufi faith. In Ziltan the rich history of the tomb dedicated to Abdel Salam al-Asmar was attacked. Therefore, just like Northern Mali the history of the past is being eradicated by Islamists who obtain funding and indoctrination from their Salafi brethren in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Attacking “infidel” mosques and shrines is now part of the new “Islamist holy war” being funded and supported by organizations and wealthy individuals in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. One can only imagine what will happen to Alawites, Christians, the Druze and mainstream Sunni Islam in Syria if the same Islamists grow in power. If Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain unchecked then the richness of religious diversity within Islam will end up in some nations like Buddhism in Afghanistan in past history. This applies to being decapitated and destroyed by an ideology which seeks only a world based on monoculture.
In the BBC article about the attack against Sufi shrines in Libya one student commented that “There’s a large group of Salafists – they are the one with the bulldozers, and some military police are also present…They seem to be overseeing the process, rather than preventing it… There are some bystanders who seem to approve.”
Similar acts and much worse are now common in Northern Mali because Salafists are intent on destroying the beauty and wisdom of African Islam in Mali. Therefore, historical monuments, shrines and mosques which have been the envy of nations throughout the world, are now on the frontline of Islamism. Sadly, it currently appears that the liberal version of Islam in Mali is being torn apart by outside forces emanating from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In a past article by Modern Tokyo Times it was stated that “The same foreign Islamists in Mali are akin to the Islamists in Syria. It is a direct mirror looking into another mirror and the Saudi Arabia angle can be seen along the way. In Syria it is much more open while in Mali it is more covert and through channels outside of the government. However, the same violence is the main theme and the same applies to the desire for a monoculture to oppress all alternative thought patterns.”
In other nations like Tunisia the confusion of recent events is enabling massive funding from wealthy individuals and organizations in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to spread their “Islamist Year Zero” policies. It is abundantly clear that an internal ideological war is being funded and supported to spread Salafi Islam. Therefore, the frequent attacks against Shia Muslims and other branches of Islam by Islamists is part of the same conflict which is destroying Muslim shrines in many parts of the world.
leejay@moderntokyotimes.com
http://moderntokyotimes.com
Posted in AFRICA, ISLAMIC PERSECUTION, ISLAMIC TERRORISM, MIDDLE EAST, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »