Wanton vandalism in Mali a blow to heritage
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:00 January 30, 2013
The advance of French and Malian troops on to Timbuktu earlier this week has spurred fleeing Islamist militants to burn irreplaceable and priceless documents and heritage dating back to the turn of the first millennium.
Sadly, their acts of wanton vandalism are based on ignorance of the
rich heritage of Islam down through the centuries, failing to understand
or appreciate the vast contributions of Muslim scholars in the fields
of early mathematics, algebra, science, natural history and medicine.
The ancient universities at Timbuktu were a model for the rest of the
world as it struggled with the dark ages, while Islamic scholars were
enlightened in their fields of study.
Unesco has designated the ancient town as a world heritage site. Sadly,
too many such sites have been damaged by violence and acts of
ignorance. If there is any good news, it lies in the fact that these
ancient manuscripts drew the interest of academics from around the world
and a South African project managed to copy the documents lest they be
lost to future generations.
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