The events that have been unfolding in Mali’s historical city of Timbuktu in the past days have been shocking and disturbing. Timbuktu a UNESCO world heritage site has witnessed the destruction of its famous buildings, rare manuscripts, ancient artifacts and art-works by a militant group called the ansar dine who have invaded the northern Mali region. Timbuktu is a 500 year ancient center of higher learning, its boast of having had the first universities in the ancient world.
The manuscripts, artifacts and artworks that are being destroyed by the ansar dine militants are priceless and irreplaceable. The wanton destruction of this heritage is indeed senseless and the only comprehendible explanation for these horrendous acts is the fact that the ansar dine wishes to rewrite history by destroying the past. The level of destruction is reminiscent to those barbaric acts committed by the warlord Genghis Khan, the same place in history that will be reserved for the ansar dine.
As human beings we are all but guardians for the future generation, we are responsible for preserving and conserving the important historical monuments, artifacts and artworks for the future generations, if we fail to preserve Timbuktu we would have failed the next generations. The ansar dine militants have no moral high ground to erase 500 years of history, the same history that belongs not only to the people of Mali , but the world at large. In essence what the ansar dine militants are doing is a form of censorship, a question I beg to ask is that after the total destruction of Timbuktu what will restrain the ansar militants from imposing censorship on modern art-forms, what will stop the ansar dine from destroying other educational institutions that they find unarguable. The world at large cannot sit and become mere spectators to such madness; swift action is needed to protect Timbuktu before one the world’s important history and heritage disappears forever.
By Michael Kanyuchi
Anthony Smith
July 7, 2012
Michael,
it is impossible to describe the heartache we feel at seeing this wonton destruction.
All one has to do is to remember the Bimiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan…now gone forever.
These people do this in the name of Islam, yet these are not tenents of Islam.
The destruction is based on ignorance and anger and hatred.
What can we do?
Its devastating, yet governments are not moved to assist in protecting such masterpieces of civilization, yet they spend billions to prop up failing economies or to protect oil routes.
Education is the key, but sadly, it is a generational change that has to occur and these people also fight against education.
They are really like a cancer that has to be completely removed.
Andrea SD
July 7, 2012
The statues are painstakingly slowly rebuilt by a team of German stonemasons, locals and two sappers – still there are explosives in the ground. But the damage is extensive, much is pulverized.
Andrea SD
July 7, 2012
Remember the destruction of the colossal Buddhas in Bamian, Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2001? There are neither limits to human creativity nor to ignorance and hate.
Ian Harris
July 7, 2012
Another group of Islamic fundamentalists who know it is their God-given duty to destroy anything that does not accord with their medieval beliefs. With Islamists taking over country after country in the so-called Arab Spring, this may eventually prove to be the least of the West’s problems The civilised Muslim belief that Jews, Christians and Muslims are all ‘people of the book’ – believers in the same god, who should live amicably together, is sadly forgotten. Parts of Africa are lawless, and there is no authority able to stop their depredations. If the West intervened, which it won’t, it would just be another Afghanistan. It’s desperately sad.
Michael Kanyuchi
July 7, 2012
I agree entirely that it boils down to ingnorance , there is need for serious investment in education . What doen’t make any sense is the fact that Timbuktu was the center of islamic learning. The historical manuscripts, artefacts and artworks are mainly Islamic. I ask the question is this really about religion or is there more to it?
Ian Harris
July 7, 2012
The Iraq war and subsequent events have made us aware that like Christianity, there are many Islamic sects. Who before knew there were Sunnis, Shiites, Wahabites, Alawiites etc? They seem to loathe and fear each other as much as the Protestants and Catholics did in the middle ages. The people doing these things believe that only their brand of fundamentalist Islam is the true way, and everything else must be destroyed as perversions of their belief. There is no arguing with these people, and Western concerns are totally irrelevant to them.
Michael Kanyuchi
July 7, 2012
Ian, i agree that there are many islamic sects, however we should not paint all muslims with the same brush as i believe the vast majority are peace loving as islam preaches. The situation in Mali is quite dire.Besides Mali being a secular country, where one was free to worship any religion they wish, Timbuktu was a major part of the Malian economy; it was the major tourist site. The effects that this destruction on Timbuktu will have on the Malian economy and employment will be unimaginable .As for the ansar dine, lets call a spade a spade. This group is using religion as a guise. They are involved in human trafficking , drug trafficking and smugglimg which has nothing to do with religion . Their objective is to create choas.
Their only goal is to create an environment of lawlessness so they can engage in their criminal activities. They wish to instill fear in the local commuinties and hide behind relegion, it’s an excuse. The destruction of Timbuktu has nothing to do with religion, that is the bigger picture….
Fay Thomson
July 8, 2012
Thank you Michael for your report about this. What can I do other than pass your information on to others
Michael Kanyuchi
July 8, 2012
thanks Fay your efforts will go a long way.
http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/islam-has-no-link-with-these-thugs-1.1045776
francoisemurat
July 9, 2012
Sometimes there are no words to describe man’s destruction. It is very distressing. Things like that make me think of Sauberung (cleansing by fire) when Nazis burnt books on May 10th 1933 – and it keeps happening. Just different times, different religions, different beliefs, different things to burn and destroy. Art, books, architecture, furniture, etc… – any medium that records man’s endeavours is the past helping us to reach better futures. Ignorance because it wants to stay ignorant is the worst crime. Thank you for sharing this Michael.
Michael Kanyuchi
July 9, 2012
well said Francoise. to put it in a nutshell the more things change the more they remain the same
Ian Harris
July 9, 2012
Not that it helps, but googling Ansar Dine will give lots of information about these people, described as a radical Islamist group, linked to Al-Quada, whose aim is to impose strict sharia law on the country. If they respond at all to outside criticism, it is with defiance and insistence that they are carrying out the will of Allah. There is no discussing with these people, and nothing we can do about it.
Michael Kanyuchi
July 10, 2012
the best we can do is spread the word in order to create awareness about what is happening ,this way pressure can be excerted on orgnazations that should be handling the sitauation, to take swift action to save the important historically heritage of Timbuktu. As they say “there is strength in numbers”. please share this plight with as many people as possible using all forms of social media. Thank you.
Michael
http://www.takuragallery.com
neeti khanna
July 11, 2012
its rather sad that such incidents keep repeating them themselves. where are we headind as human beings or are we really progressing at all. education seem to me the only recourse to such happenings.i deeply regret whats happening. wishing you all the best in your struggle
Michael Kanyuchi
July 11, 2012
It is a minority who hold the many to ransom, and this is one of the groups that give all peace loving Muslims a bad name. The activities of ansar dine are clear; its not to further islam but to create a lawless society to further their criminal activities.
Frans Commelin
July 14, 2012
it’s an awful business, just like when the taliban blew up those ancient buda statues. But the whole ansar dine regime is human-unfriendly and this small group wants to bring the people under their will, calling it Allah’s will. The ansar dine are nothing to do with Allah’s will.
Michael Kanyuchi
July 14, 2012
i totally agree with your sentiments Frans , the acts being commited by the ansar dine have got nothing to do with islam , its just plain acts of terror and thuggery
cathy
July 30, 2012
I empathize and agree and find it very sad but you end your statements that “something has
to be done” – you don’t say what. I wish there were answers. i am an artist and i did read about iraq and how many of their antiquities were stolen or lost during the last many years of war. THere doesn’t seem to be any way to hold these folks accountable.