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| A sufi shrine damaged in an attack. |
The Taliban's attacks on innocent civilians, it's public stoning of women accused of adultery -- held as gruesome spectacles in what were previously sports arenas -- are well known. The militant's destruction of the shrines of revered Sufi saints and mystics has, however, gone virtually unnoticed.
IPS News has been looking at the wanton destruction of Sufi holy places, and speaking to Afaq Ali, a shopkeeper in the Khyber Agency.. Like many Afghanis, Ali, a former supporter of the Taliban, is sick of the Taliban's violence against people and its destruction of ancient culture.
"Three years ago," Ali told IPS News, "I used to be a supporter of the Taliban because I believed they were true Muslims, but this destruction of shrines of revered saints has saddened me and others."
Ali was reacting to the destruction of the shrines of Sheikh Bahadar Baba and Sheikh Nisa Baba in separate attacks in the Khyber Agency on Dec. 9.
"These attacks are unacceptable and the people who used to contribute money to the Taliban in the past hate them now," Ali told IPS. "People don’t respect them any more."
Since 2005, the Taliban has been carrying on a relentless campaign to destroy the tombs of mystics and poets since reverence for them is considered ‘un-Islamic’ by Wahabi purists.
Some 25 shrines across Pakistan, many of them centuries-old, have been destroyed in these attacks.
"Taliban have several factions and the Wahabi group is opposed to people visiting shrines, and these attacks are designed to scare away people," Mufti Ghulam Nabi, a prayer leader in Peshawar, explained to IPS.
"Except for the Wahabis, all other groups hold the Sufis and mystic poets in high esteem," Nabi added.
Maulana Ghulam Rasool, another cleric, said that the mainstream Tehreek Taliban Pakistan was opposed to desecration and destruction of shrines of saints and poets, but Taliban belonging to Ahle Hadith school (Wahabis) are opposed to visits to these shrines by people.
"This school considers visits to the shrines un-Islamic as they argue that the people should directly seek blessing of God and visiting the shrines amounted to equating them with God," he told IPS.
"But, the attacks on these shrines has greatly harmed the image of the Taliban," Rasool added.
Wahabi fundamentalism originated in Saudi Arabia, and the present Saudi government provides funds to the school’s adherents for the construction of mosques and other institutions.
Until the May 28, 2005 destruction of the shrine of Bari Imam in Islamabad by a suicide bomber, killing 20 people, attacks on Sufi shrines were unthinkable.
In 2006, the Pakistani Taliban captured the shrine of Haji Sahib Turangzai in the Mohmand Agency and converted it into their headquarters.
By 2008, the militants had accelerated their campaign, blowing up important shrines such as that of Abdul Shakoor Baba in Chamkani, Peshawar.
On Mar. 5, 2009 when the ‘mazar’ (domed mausoleum) in Peshawar of the 17th century Sufi poet Abdul Rahman Baba was blown up, people began to openly condemn the Taliban for the desecration.
"Attacking shrines of revered people shows that Taliban are not Muslims. They are doing this to please the enemies of Islam," Saeed Bibi, 26, a housewife told IPS. "Now I am staunchly opposed to the Taliban."
Read the rest of IPS News's report here.
IPS News has been looking at the wanton destruction of Sufi holy places, and speaking to Afaq Ali, a shopkeeper in the Khyber Agency.. Like many Afghanis, Ali, a former supporter of the Taliban, is sick of the Taliban's violence against people and its destruction of ancient culture.
"Three years ago," Ali told IPS News, "I used to be a supporter of the Taliban because I believed they were true Muslims, but this destruction of shrines of revered saints has saddened me and others."
Ali was reacting to the destruction of the shrines of Sheikh Bahadar Baba and Sheikh Nisa Baba in separate attacks in the Khyber Agency on Dec. 9.
"These attacks are unacceptable and the people who used to contribute money to the Taliban in the past hate them now," Ali told IPS. "People don’t respect them any more."
Since 2005, the Taliban has been carrying on a relentless campaign to destroy the tombs of mystics and poets since reverence for them is considered ‘un-Islamic’ by Wahabi purists.
Some 25 shrines across Pakistan, many of them centuries-old, have been destroyed in these attacks.
"Taliban have several factions and the Wahabi group is opposed to people visiting shrines, and these attacks are designed to scare away people," Mufti Ghulam Nabi, a prayer leader in Peshawar, explained to IPS.
"Except for the Wahabis, all other groups hold the Sufis and mystic poets in high esteem," Nabi added.
Maulana Ghulam Rasool, another cleric, said that the mainstream Tehreek Taliban Pakistan was opposed to desecration and destruction of shrines of saints and poets, but Taliban belonging to Ahle Hadith school (Wahabis) are opposed to visits to these shrines by people.
"This school considers visits to the shrines un-Islamic as they argue that the people should directly seek blessing of God and visiting the shrines amounted to equating them with God," he told IPS.
"But, the attacks on these shrines has greatly harmed the image of the Taliban," Rasool added.
Wahabi fundamentalism originated in Saudi Arabia, and the present Saudi government provides funds to the school’s adherents for the construction of mosques and other institutions.
Until the May 28, 2005 destruction of the shrine of Bari Imam in Islamabad by a suicide bomber, killing 20 people, attacks on Sufi shrines were unthinkable.
In 2006, the Pakistani Taliban captured the shrine of Haji Sahib Turangzai in the Mohmand Agency and converted it into their headquarters.
By 2008, the militants had accelerated their campaign, blowing up important shrines such as that of Abdul Shakoor Baba in Chamkani, Peshawar.
On Mar. 5, 2009 when the ‘mazar’ (domed mausoleum) in Peshawar of the 17th century Sufi poet Abdul Rahman Baba was blown up, people began to openly condemn the Taliban for the desecration.
"Attacking shrines of revered people shows that Taliban are not Muslims. They are doing this to please the enemies of Islam," Saeed Bibi, 26, a housewife told IPS. "Now I am staunchly opposed to the Taliban."
Read the rest of IPS News's report here.
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