What’s more important, people or buildings?
Obvious, say the respondents, people. And yet, when I first heard and saw what happened at Samarra on Tuesday, I knew this was more serious than a few people being blown up. It’s obvious why really. An attack on an individual is an attack on that individual, his family and anyone else who knew and loved them. While an attack on a holy shrine is an attack on all people and especially all people who have a religious interest in that shrine. As Shakir Al-Anbari of Al-Mada said:
An attack on what is holy insults mankind.
When the Taliban destroyed those ancient statues in 2001, I literally felt sickness in my heart. What short-sighted, arrogant and evil minds must be behind such wanton vandalism?
(Update: Video showing destruction)
The same is true, now, of the golden dome of the shrine in Samarra. That someone could find it in their heart to destroy something that, regardless of your religion, was beautiful, saddens me greatly. Every time I see the before and after shots on the news, I want to believe it is a computer mock-up.
People are more important — but when a building or other object is attacked that means a lot to people (for any reason) it is an attack on more people. Those behind the destruction must have known the fall-out it would create. Anyone wanting to trigger Civil War in England would need only destroy the tower containing Big Ben to see their cause furthered. The new series of Doctor Who showed the spaceship crashing into it for that reason.
It would be wrong of me to call for calm from the Shia following this. I just hope peace can win in the end.
The reason for my headline, though, is that I thought I would say what many people are thinking in their darker moments. An atrocity that can be seen and experienced by all, and especially Muslims, has occurred. This situation, I imagine, calls for demonstrations on the streets of London, Bradford, Paris, Amsterdam… dare I say it, Copenhagen. If the people involved in protests following the cartoons were on the streets I would expect even more vehement and zealous demands for heads.
And yet there is a silence. Maybe everyone’s too shocked at what happened? Maybe they’re taking a considered view of the likely impact of their protests on the unstable position in Iraq? Maybe the media is not reporting it for the same reason?
Or maybe the cartoon was an excuse to attack the hosts that they don’t respect?
Where are these protesters now? Did they really believe that a cartoon was more serious than the destruction desecration of a religious burial place?
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