Why are they targeting the Sufis?

Why are they targeting the Sufis? Richard Schiffman, New Internationalist blog, Oct 23 2012

Afghanistan in 2001? The Taliban destruction of these massive archaeological monuments dating back to the sixth century has become emblematic of the cultural and religious intolerance of radical Islam.What is less well known is that fanatical elements have done equal damage to Islam’s own religious heritage. Not only have Shi’a and Sunni partisans bombed each other’s mosques in countries like Iraq, Syria and Pakistan, but Sufi places of worship are under attack throughout the Islamic world.

In September, the world was shocked to learn that the US ambassador and three other Americans had been killed in an attack on a US Consulate in Libya. Few heard of the other violent events there later that month, which included the destruction of Sufi shrines in three Libyan cities.

In Tripoli, security forces watched passively as militants with bulldozers levelled the shrine of al-Shaab al-Dahmani, a venerated Sufi saint, in broad daylight. In Benghazi, on the other hand, locals fought back, killing three of the militants who were assaulting a holy place.

Perhaps we don’t hear much about these incidents because attacks on Sufis and Sufi sites have become routine, not just in Libya, but throughout the Islamic world. This past summer, Islamic militants in Mali demolished historical mausoleums, universities and libraries in the ancient Saharan trading town of Timbuktu, several of which were on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. Sufi worship halls have also been turned to rubble in Iran, where the Islamic government has reportedly jailed and tortured thousands of Sufi practitioners for their unorthodox views. And in Egypt since the fall of Mubarak Sufi shrines have been torched and the Sufi chanting ritual called zhikr has been banned in some locations.

The deadliest attacks to date have occurred in Pakistan, including last year’s bombing of the Sakhi Sarkar shrine during the annual festival of the Sufi saint, in which 41 worshippers were killed. Meanwhile, in the former Soviet Republic of Daghestan, the Sufi leader Effendi Chirkeisky, along with six of his followers, was assassinated at the end of August by a female suicide bomber. Chirkeisky, a critic of Muslim extremism, had ironically been working to broker peace between warring Islamic factions.

For many here in the US, Sufism is associated with the ecstatic verse of the 13th-century mystic, Jalaluddin Rumi, whose poetry in translation sells more copies than any living US poet. Rumi’s popularity derives in part from the fact that he taught that religion is less a matter of external observance than an intimate, personal relationship with God. This undoubtedly appeals to our American ideal of individualism and free-form seeking.

What many contemporary fans of Rumi may not realize is that Sufism in practice is more of a communal affair than a lonely quest. Moreover, the philosophy of Rumi and his fellow Sufis is very much alive today. It has spread to the distant corners of the Islamic world and beyond, and comprises many different orders, each with their own teachings and modes of practice.

Historically, Sufism was one of the great wellsprings of Islamic philosophy, and deeply influenced luminaries like the great Muslim theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and the 13th-century mystic thinker, Ibn Arabi. Some have credited Sufism’s open-minded approach to knowledge with the development of Islamic medicine and other sciences in the Middle Ages. Sufism’s influence on the literature, music, art and architecture of Islam is also immense, and it was a potent force in many of the political and social reform movements in the 19th century.

While nobody can say with certainty how many Sufis there are, they undoubtedly number in the millions in countries like Iran, Indonesia and Pakistan, and untold hundreds of millions of Muslims take part in Sufi ceremonies and festivals.

‘In the Islamic world,’ according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, ‘Sufism is the most powerful antidote to the religious radicalism called fundamentalism, as well as the most important source for responding to the challenges posed by modernism.’

This pervasive influence may be why Sufis have been targets of the fundamentalist, who see their kinder, gentler form of Islam as a standing challenge to their own rigid orthodoxy. Sufi practices, such as the famous whirling of the Mevlevi dervishes in Turkey, first practiced by Rumi himself, employ music, dance and spiritual recitation to awaken the God who Sufis say is asleep in the human heart. Nothing could be further from the grim-faced puritanism of the Islamic fundamentalists who accuse the Sufis of being ‘idolaters’ and ‘pagans’. Sufis reply that they are hearkening back to the roots of Islam, which means ‘peace’.

I can attest to the power of Sufi practices to provide a glimpse of the ‘peace which passeth understanding’ which is at the core of all religious experience. For several years I attended the weekly zickr of a Turkish Sufi order in New York City. The chanting in Turkish and Arabic was co-ordinated with our movements and the flow of the breath to create a trance-like state which I found to be both subtler and more powerful and enduring than the drug experiences which I had pursued during college. Equally remarkable was the feeling of deep affection and fellowship which was served up along with the tea and Turkish sweets after the ceremony.

The Sufism that I know, while deeply Islamic in form, is universal in spirit. I think often of what our Sheikh, Muzzafer Effendi, told his Turkish followers when they asked him why he didn’t convert more American dervishes to Islam. ‘There are more than enough Muslims already,’ he replied. ‘What the world needs is more lovers of God!’

I would love to say this to the extremists who are bombing holy places and attacking Sufi practitioners.

Richard Schiffman is an American dervish in the Jerrahi order of Sufism. He is also the author of two religious biographies, and a poet and journalist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, Reuters, the Guardian and on NPR.

Painting Secularism with Sufi Colours

The Hindu August 31st 2012 Staff reporter

 

The Hindu A SILENT PAUSE CAPTURED: A picture of Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah clicked by Shivani Dass is on display at Alliance Francaise de Delhi. The photo exhibition of Sufi shrines ends today.

Painting Secularism with Sufi Colours

Delhi-based photographer Shivani Dass’ abiding interest in Sufism has taken her to nine important Sufi shrines across the country.

Besides paying her respects at the shrines, this 28-year-old, who has been pursuing photography for the past four years, has managed to capture 1,000 colour pictures to highlight the secular character of the shrines.

Since she could not show all her images at one exhibition, she has shortlisted 28 images, each of which has been put on display at a solo exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Delhi and has an interesting new story to tell.

Titled “Violet Dreams”, the exhibition capturing different facets of Sufism was inaugurated last weekend and ends today.

Shedding light on how her interest in Sufism developed, Shivani says her closest friend Anamika often took her to the famous Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargarh. “I used to observe that people from different religious denominations visited and prayed at the shrine. Their faith in Sufism was heartening. What I best liked about Sufism is that it does not prevent anyone from paying homage at dargahs which embrace everyone with open arms. This created a lot of interest about Sufism in me. I have always been intrigued by its mystical ways and wanted to provide a visual language to the quest for this path.”

The shrines Shivani visited included Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi’s Dargah in Ajmer, Dargah Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan in Bangalore, Yousufain Sharifain in Hyderabad, Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu and Delhi dargahs of Hazrat Nizamuddin and Matka Pir.

The photographs capture different moods of the believers and ignored corners of Sufi shrines. “There was so much going on in each place that I visited. People were healed at Mira Datar’s Dargah in Gujarat and at Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu when I went there during Urs. But I did not want to capture the obvious imagery of suffering and joy. I wanted to look at the in between pauses when nothing is really happening, yet a great deal is,” Shivani says.

Shivani’s favourite pictures include one of a girl whose face is turned away from the camera. She is one of three sisters at Mira Datar’s Dargah who was disillusioned as her father sat outside complaining about the loss of their only son who died during the Bhopal gas tragedy.

UNESCO urges Libya to stop destruction of Sufi sites

UNESCO urges Libya to stop destruction of Sufi sites Paris August 28 2012

UN cultural body UNESCO on Tuesday called on Libya to immediately cease the destruction of Sufi holy sites after Islamist hardliners wrecked shrines across the country.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova expressed “grave concern” at the destruction of Sufi sites in Zliten, Misrata and Tripoli and urged perpetrators to “cease the destruction immediately”.

“I am deeply concerned about these brutal attacks on places of cultural and religious significance. Such acts must be halted, if Libyan society is to complete its transition to democracy,” she said in a statement.

“For this, we need dialogue and mutual respect. Libya’s future prospects depend on its inhabitants’ ability to build a participatory democracy that respects the rights and the heritage of all its citizens.”

Several Muslim shrines have been attacked in recent days, including those of the mystic Sufi strand of Islam.

Islamist hardliners on Saturday bulldozed part of the mausoleum of Al-Shaab Al-Dahman, close to the centre of the Libyan capital.

The demolition came a day after hardliners blew up the mausoleum of Sheikh Abdessalem al-Asmar in Zliten, 160 kilometres (100 miles) east of the capital.

According to witnesses, another mausoleum — that of Sheikh Ahmed al-Zarruq — was destroyed in the port of Misrata, 200 kilometres east of Tripoli.

Hardline Sunni Islamists are opposed to the veneration of tombs of revered Muslim figures, saying that such devotion should be reserved for God alone.

The Sufis, who have played a historical role in the affairs of Libya, have increasingly found themselves in conflict with Qatari- and Saudi-trained Salafist preachers who consider them heretical.

Sufis say Islamists in Egypt could squeeze out their traditions

 

Sufis say Islamists in Egypt could squeeze out their traditions

Al Arabiya News 29 August 2012 By SHAIMAA FAYED AND ABDEL RAHMAN YOUSSEF
REUTERS CAIRO AND ALEXANDRIA

Down the narrow alleyways of Cairo’s Sayidda Zeinab neighborhood, 100 men sway their heads and clap in rhythm as they invoke God’s name.
“O how you have spread benevolence,” chant the men, some dressed in ankle-length galabeya robes, to celebrate the birth of Fatima al-Zahraa, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. The men are followers of the centuries-old Azaimiya Sufi order who seek to come closer to God through mystical rites. Some say their traditions are now threatened by Islamists elbowing for influence after the overthrow of Egypt’s veteran leader Hosni Mubarak. Tensions have long rumbled between the country’s estimated 15 million Sufis, attached to some 80 different orders, and ultra-conservative Salafists who see Sufi practices such as the veneration of shrines as heresy. The ousting of President Mubarak in February has loosened state control over Islamist groups that he suppressed using an emergency law in place since 1980. As Sufis seek to defend traditions dating back centuries, what began as a loose religious identity could be gelling, gradually, into a political movement. “If the Sufis stood side by side, they could be an important voting bloc ... but their political and organizational power is less than their numerical power,” said political analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah. Alaa Abul Azaim, sheikh of the Azaimiya Sufi order, says moves by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi groups to enter formal politics endanger religious tolerance and oblige Sufis to do the same. “If the Salafists or Muslim Brotherhood rise to power, they could well cancel the Sufi sheikhdom, so there has to be a party for Sufis,” Abul Azaim said. Shrines dedicated to saints are central to Sufi practice and can be found in towns and villages across Egypt, but they are frowned upon by Salafists. Many are built inside mosques and contain the tombs of saints. They are often highly decorated, using wood and mother-of-pearl. Some religious conservatives also dislike Sufi moulids -- festivals celebrating the birthdays of saints that have become carnival-like events popular even among non-Sufis in Egypt. Moulid music has found its way into pop culture, such as the well-known puppet operetta “El Leila El Kebira” (The Big Night).
Fears for the future of Sufi traditions were underlined in April, when two dozen Islamists wielding crowbars and sledgehammers tried to smash a shrine used by Sufis in the town of Qalyoub north of Cairo. Their plan failed when residents rallied to defend the site revered for generations.

Salafist leaders denied their followers were behind the shrine attack and condemned it, while making it clear that they oppose the shrines. “The Salafi call does not reject Sufism,” said Sheikh Abdel Moneim el-Shahat, official spokesperson for the Salafi movement in Alexandria. “We reject (the practice of) receiving blessings from tombs and shrines because it is against Sharia law.” He said Salafis believe religious blessings can only be sought from the Black Stone of the Kaaba in the Saudi city of Mecca. Millions of Muslims circle the stone during the Hajj pilgrimage. Egypt’s constitution forbids political parties formed on overtly religious lines. That has not stopped Salafist groups such as al-Gama’a al-Islamiya and the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood moving to create parties to compete in September elections. No overtly Sufi party has emerged -- adepts of Sufism, with their emphasis on personal development and inner purification, have till now seen little sense in forming a political movement. But one nascent party, al-Tahrir (Liberation), has pledged to defend their interests and, by doing so, has built most of its membership from among the Sufi community. “There is no doubt that the (Islamist) flood that’s coming ... scares them,” said the party’s founder Ibrahim Zahran.
Affirmative political action would mark a departure for Egypt’s Sufis, who have tended to submit to the will of Egypt’s political leaders since the 12th century.

“From Sultan Saladin al-Ayubi until Mubarak, Sufism was used by the state to reinforce its legitimacy,” said sociologist Ammar Aly Hassan.

In a sign they are more ready to challenge authority, sheikhs of 13 Sufi orders have staged a sit-in since May 1 calling for the removal of Sheikh Abdel Hadi el-Qasabi, the head of the Sufi Sheikhdom who was appointed by Mubarak in 2009. They say Sheikh Qasabi broke a tradition of ordaining the eldest sheikh to the position and they refuse to have him as their leader as he was a member of President Mubarak’s disbanded National Democratic Party. Many Sufis oppose the idea of an Islamic state promoted by Islamists who take the Iran’s theocracy or the Wahhabi ideology of staunchly conservative Saudi Arabia as a model.
Sufi Sheikh Gaber Kassem of Alexandria criticised the political ambitions of the Muslim Brotherhood and its slogan “Islam is the Solution.”
“This is a devotional matter, a religious call ... so how are they entering politics? Is this hypocrisy?” he said.

UNESCO calls for immediate stop to destruction of Sufi religious sites in Libya

UNESCO calls for immediate stop to destruction of Sufi religious sites in Libya

 UN News Center

A lone protester holds up a placard condemning the destruction of a Sufi shrine in Tripoli as he approaches the site of the demolition. Photo: UNSMIL/I. Athanasiadis

28 August 2012 –

Noting that “destroying places of religious and cultural significance cannot be tolerated,” the head of the United Nations agency tasked with safeguarding the world’s cultural heritage today spoke out against the destruction of various Sufi religious sites in Libya, and called on the perpetrators to cease immediately. “I am deeply concerned about these brutal attacks on places of cultural and religious significance. Such acts must be halted, if Libyan society is to complete its transition to democracy,” the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, said in a news release.
“For this, we need dialogue and mutual respect,” she added. “Libya’s future prospects depend on its inhabitants’ ability to build a participatory democracy that respects the rights and the heritage of all its citizens.”
According to media reports, ultra-conservative Islamists damaged major Sufi shrines and libraries in the north-western town of Zliten, the city of Misrata, and the capital, Tripoli, over recent days, reportedly with the acquiescence of members of the security forces.
The affected sites are the Islamic Centre of Sheikh Abdussalam Al-Asmar in Zliten, the Shrine of Sidi Ahmed Zaroug in Misrata, and the Mosque of Sidi Sha'ab in Tripoli. The sites are revered by Sufis, a branch of Islam known for its moderation but considered heretical by some branches of the Islamic faith.
Ms. Bokova also urged the Libyan authorities and society at large to exercise their responsibility in protecting cultural heritage and sites of religious significance for future generations.
In addition, she welcomed the Libyan government’s condemnation of the destruction, and indicated that UNESCO stands ready to provide assistance to protect and rehabilitate them.
Libya has been undergoing a democratic transition over the past year. In July, it held its first free elections in decades, in the wake of the toppling of the regime of Muammar al-Qadhafi. The former leader ruled the North African country for more than 40 years until a pro-democracy uprising last year – similar to the protests in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa – led to civil war and the end of his regime.
Some 2.7 million Libyans took part in the polls to vote for members of the new National Congress. The election was conducted in a largely peaceful manner, receiving praise from international observers and the Security Council.

Not just about Delhi dargahs

http://tinyurl.com/bud3zdh
The Pioneer, Saturday, 18 August 2012 

inShare

Sadia Dehlvi tells as much about Sufi shrines as she narrates her religious experiences, writes RV Smith
Whatever reason may dictate, faith in shrines of any religion or community is an all-pervading sentiment. Sadia Dehlvi’s book on the Sufi dargahs of Delhi is an eloquent example of this. Sadia has imbibed her love for these memorials from her mother who was able to make an initially doubtful teenager to believe in divine intervention in the lives of people through the intersession of Sufi saints, both men and women. The result is seen in this publication in which historical facts, legends and myths combine with personal experiences to present an interesting treatise for readers — all of whom might not be the ‘believers’ but still enjoy them all the same.
The book is as much about dargahs as it is about Sadia and her experiments with religion. “My engagement with Sufism began as a teenager while occasionally accompanying my grandfather to the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin. Apart from the knowledge that dargahs were revered spaces, I understood little else. Years later, my mother embarked on the Sufi path and became a disciple too... I observed that Ammi became softer on us as far as daily religious obligations were concerned and felt relieved. A convent-educated rebel of the 1970s, I had little to do with religion and appreciated the dargah visits in a cultural context,” she writes. “This led me to believe the Sufi path was easier, not requiring religious rituals. Over the years, as my interest in Sufi philosophy deepened, I realised that nothing could be further from the truth. I grew to understand Sufism as a difficult path, more meaningful and demanding of a person than the mere fulfillment of mandatory religious duties. Sufism welcomes you with an all-encompassing compassion, igniting a desire to swim deeper in the ocean of Divinity.”
Sadia then goes back tracing the history of Sufism in India. She tells us about Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, disciple of Moinuddin Chisti, after whom came Nizamuddin Auliya. Then came Amir Khusrau, whose love for India was more attuned to the Indian milieu. Savour this from Khusrau: “The heavens said that of all the countries which have come out of the earth. among them it is Hindustan that has achieved the pinnacle of excellence.”
Once, when Khusrau accompanied Hazrat Nizamuddin on a stroll, they saw a group of Brahmins praying. Nizamuddin remarked: “Every people have their direction of worship.” At this Khusrau replied: “My direction of prayer is towards the slanting cap.” Interestingly, Hazrat Nizamuddin used to wear his cap with a slant. Khusrau continued, “Lovers of the Beloved take us to Kaabah and to the temple of idols. Lovers of the Friend are not bothered with infidelity and faith.”
Sadia tells us more about Khusrau. “The creation of the sitar and the tabla are attributed to Khusrau. Several Indian melodies as well as the development of qawaali are also attributed to him. His music compositions include khayals, taranas, naqshs and other ragas that celebrate the fusion of Indian and Persian melodies. These were designed to provide novelty in the music assemblies of Hazrat Nizamuddin khanqah (hospice).”
Entry to a Sufi shrine is open to all, except for the dargah of Bibi Sara, disciple of Khwaja Qutubuddin, where only women are allowed. As for women, they avoid the mausoleum of Adham Khan, Akbar’s general.
The Sufis of Delhi were close to the seat of power and many emperors enjoyed their patronage, but this did not deter them from being secular in their approach. Nizamuddin Auliya celebrated Basant with great fervour and there were others who celebrated Diwali as the divine festival of lights. Many unknown aspects of Delhi’s Sufi heritage are brought to light by Sadia to make the book a really enjoyable digression from the mundane cares of life.
Her approach is neither didactic nor fundamentalist. It is the refreshing observation of a woman whose mind is open to both belief and rationality. The language is lucid but at places the description could have been more colourful. The photographs no doubt add to the appeal of the book but black-and-white shots or sketches may have been better. Also, the price could have been a notch lower for the sake of students and retired folk.
The reviewer is the author of the book, The Delhi That No One Knows

Path to Sufism could lead to global peace, says Qaim

Path to Sufism could lead to global peace, says Qaim International The News, Saturday, August 04, 2012

RANIPUR: The world can benefit from the philosophy of Sufism as it holds the means to overcome the social and economic issues confronting the globe.

This was stated by the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, as he laid a floral wreath on the mausoleum of Hazrat Sachal Sarmast at Daraz Sharif in Ranipur town of Khairpur on Friday on the occasion of the 191st Urs celebrations of the Sufi poet.

The chief minister, while addressing a ceremony on this occasion, said that love, peace, equality and tolerance had been the hallmark of Sachal Sarmast’s message. He said that the mystic poets had played a vital role in spreading the spirit of Sufism.

Shah paid rich tribute to the scholars and poets who had been spreading the message of Sufism. He said that the present PPP government had been following in the footsteps of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto by paying attention to the renovation and maintenance of the shrines of Shah Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast and Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

The chief minister, while taking notice of the complaints against grabbing of the shrine’s land, ordered the DIG of Sukkur to get the land recovered from the possession of the land mafia. He also asked the police official to launch a crackdown on the drug peddlers.

Shah also ordered installation of tubewells in the area as well as an inquiry into the alleged siphoning off of funds worth millions of rupees meant for repairing the existing tubewells. Meanwhile, Sindh Auqaf Minister Dr Rafique Ahmed told the ceremony that the Auqaf Department by virtue of the 18th Amendment had been devolved to the Sindh government.

Kashmir: A Breeding Ground for Spirituality

Kashmir: A Breeding Ground for Spirituality
 Free Press Kashmir 2 Aug 2012
by Sahar-ul-Nisa Haroon

In Kashmir a large number of great Sufis have lived and now we have shrines dedicated to them thronged by thousands; Kashmir is Peer Waer, a land of saints. This paradise on earth is bestowed not only with the beauty of nature but also with religious wealth.

The Sufi tradition has played a great role in the lives of people living in this region ringed by lofty snow-clad mountains. The earliest known Sufi in Kashmir was a thirteenth Century Suhrawardi saint from Turkistan, Syed Sharfuddin Abdur Rahman, fondly remembered as Bulbul Shah. Click here to read more of this excellent article.

Children Convey Sufi Message of Love

Children Convey Sufi Message of Love
PTI | 11:07 AM,Jul 09,2012
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) A 'sufi' message of love, tolerance and pluralism echoed in the bylanes of Nizamuddin Basti when local children took the initiative to preserve their heritage through an improvised form of 'dastangoi'. An open air setting in the heart of the Basti, with a view of families in the neighbourhood in their balconies and windows and children up in the roofs flying colourful kites, Chausath Khamba provided an ambience apt for a theatre performance of 'Qissa Baoli ka' (The Story behind the Baoli). It also served another objective – the reuse of a dilapidated space for cultural events centred on themes associated with the Basti. Around 40 children from the Basti, who were shortlisted after auditions by the Urdu Academy, tried to make the story of the construction of Hazrat Nizamuddin Baoli, built in the 14th century despite objections from king Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, came alive last weekend in a culmination of a 45-day theatre workshop. The 50-minute play was an Aga Khan Trust for Culture initiative in the form of Urban Renewal project that aims at improving the quality of life of residents and collaboration between AKTC and Urdu Academy for past two years has seen children and youth from the Basti getting trained in theatre. The baoli -- protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) -- miraculously still holds water and water levels have increased significantly following the recent restoration by AKTC following partial collapse in 2008. "The water from the baoli is considered holy by millions of pilgrims who visit the Basti annually to pay their respects at the Dargah of (Sufi saint) Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia", Ratish Nanda, Project Director, AKTC said told PTI. "The (Urban Renewal) project has distinct conservation, health, education, vocational training, sanitation, urban improvement components in addition to cultural revival. Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti boasts of a 700-year living culture which has sadly been gradually forgotten and no longer remains the hallmark of the Basti", he said. At the outset of the project, the dilapidated courtyard of Chausath Khamba was landscaped as part of the project to create a performance space. It was the same place where AKTC held 'Jash-e-Khusrau' in 2010 after the 14th century Sufi legend Amir Khusrau. In the play, first-timer young actors made their entry from anywhere -- from near the audience to suddenly emerging from a dark corner -- with soulful sufi music playing in the background and kept a large crowd engaged as they spoke dialogues heavily influenced by dialects. A special corner from where the revered sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin's voice emanated amid smoke and light drew a huge applause. Director of the play Nadeem Khan and script-writer Anis Azmi narrated the story through a journalist who comes to the Basti to investigate and gets information through an elderly 'Chacha Maqsood'. The whole format simplified the history, making it easy for any person to retain it. Kiran Walia, Delhi Social Welfare Minister, who was present as the Chief Guest advocated for a "collective effort" from "not only by the government but by the people to protect heritage".

ICC: Attacks on Sufi shrines in Timbuktu constitute war crimes

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-07-02/icc-attacks-on-sufi-shrines-in-timbuktu-constitute-war-crimes/12:04pm, Mon 2 Jul 2012 A prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said that the attacks on Sufi mausoleums in the Malian capital Timbuktu at the weekend constitute war crimes.

Witnesses reported that militants from the al Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine group used Kalashnikovs and pick-axes to destroy several of the mausoleums at the UNESCO world heritage site.
The mausoleums are shrines to saints of the local Sufi version of Islam, and are considered idolatrous by the salafist Ansar Dine. ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told AFP that "deliberate attacks against undefended, civilian buildings which are not military objectives" constitute war crimes.
She added: "This is a war crime which my office has authority to fully investigate."