Libya: Several people killed after Sufi shrine attacked by Salafists
Libya: Several people killed after Sufi shrine attacked by Salafists
Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Sufi shrines in Libya are being attacked by Islamists and this is following a similar pattern whereby the hands of major Western powers and Gulf Islamist nations leave behind a path of hatred. The latest attack against a Sufi shrine led to clashes between locals and people who follow the Salafi view of Islam emanating from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Therefore, the so-called “Arab Spring” is ushering in new forces and power structures from the Gulf monarchy states which are intent on spreading their version of Islam.
It is noticeable that after the American led invasion of Iraq that much of the Christian community was cleansed in many parts of this nation alongside other minority groups including the Mandaeans. This follows the pattern of Kosovo whereby even after many years of this conflict ending, it is clear that many Orthodox Christian churches have been destroyed and thousands of Orthodox Christians have been killed. Meanwhile, their killers walk free in Kosovo and the organ tainted Hashim Thaci is free to visit nations like America and Japan.
Likewise, when America, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and other nations funded Islamist fanatics in the 1980s and early 1990s in Afghanistan; the outcome would follow the same pattern. This time it would be the massacre of thousands of Shia Muslims and the destruction of Buddhist architecture. Therefore, not surprisingly Libya is now witnessing attacks against Sufi shrines in this country. The same is also happening in northern Mali whereby traditional Islam is threatened by the forces of Islamism.
The pattern of major Western powers and Gulf Islamist nations supporting such evil is also now happening in Syria. Given this reality, the secular government of Bashar al-Assad is trying to preserve the rich mosaic of this nation. Radical Sunni Islamist clerics throughout the Gulf and in Syria, within Free Syrian Army (FSA) held areas, frequently incite hatred towards the Alawites and Shia. At the same time many Christians have been killed and attacked by Islamist terrorist groups and the FSA. The Druze community is watching events very nervously and the same applies to mainstream Sunni Muslim clerics who face a very uncertain future if Salafists get their way in Syria.
Turning back to Libya it is known that at least three people have been killed in clashes in the town of Rajma. Salafists were intent on destroying the mausoleum called Sidi al-Lafi but locals had other ideas. Wanis al-Sharif, Deputy Interior Minister of Libya, comments that “The clashes left three people dead and several more wounded on both sides.” This follows on from other attacks against Sufi shrines and clearly the situation is creating new divisions within Libyan society.
In an interesting article by Rob Prince, Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF), he comments that “First the British and later the U.S. have had longstanding histories of cooperation with Islamic fundamentalist elements whom they use as a foil against more secular Arab nationalism. These continue and remain important today. Bizarre as it might seem to American audiences, Salafists are playing key roles in support of U.S. Middle East policy.”
Rob Prince also comments that “While claiming to oppose Salafist brownshirt tactics, once again, the U.S. is playing what appears to be Salafist card and not just in Tunisia. Supporting Salafists throughout the region are two key U.S. allies — Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who work in tandem with the United States to secure U.S. strategic interests and neoliberal economic policies throughout the region, policies more and more being closely coordinated with NATO. Arms shipments from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to Salafist elements in the Syrian opposition have been intercepted in Lebanon recently. There are reports of Iraqi jihadists also working with the Syrian opposition, their activities coordinated by the Saudis and Qataris, in some form of coordination with the U.S. as was done in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Several weeks ago, reinforcing Syrian government claims, a Tunisian human rights group exposed the open recruiting of Tunisian Salafist elements to also fight in Syria, calling for an investigation, suggesting that the Tunisian Ennahda-led government is coordinating its Middle East policies rather closely with Saudi and Qatari religious conservatives.”
Not only does religious pluralism usually suffer from the outside meddling of America, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and other allies. Equally disturbing is the failed state domino, growing rise of terrorism and decreasing rights of women. Therefore, current events in Libya mirror past policies and the same applies to this hatred being supported against secular Syria.
At the moment Sufi shrines face attacks in Libya, Northern Mali, Pakistan and Somalia. Alongside this you have hatred being espoused against traditional Islam in many parts of the above named nations. Indeed, it is difficult to state “nations” to all the above because clearly central forces are extremely weak in parts of each respective named nation state. One can only hazard a guess what will happen to Alawites and other minorities in Syria if the FSA and international terrorism wins the day.
Prior to the current attack two notable Sufi shrines were attacked in Tripoli and Zilton. This respectively applies to the shrine of al-Shaab al-Dahmani and the tomb dedicated to Abdel Salam al-Asmar. Islamist indoctrination emanating from Saudi Arabia and Qatar is altering the Islamic map and challenging more plural forces within this faith. Therefore, attacking “infidel mosques, shrines and people,” is part and parcel of the “new jihad” which is being sponsored by wealthy elites and organizations in nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
http://www.fpif.org/blog/the_brownshirts_of_the_arab_spring_tunisias_salafists_part_2
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