en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en ru en en en en en en en fr es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en es en es en es en es en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en sv en en de en en en en en de en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en
Jihadi fighters used dynamite to blow up the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul, Iraq, on June 21 in a symbolic and highly political act of destruction. An anthropologist calls its destruction "cultural and civilizational nihilism".
Jihadi fighters destroyed an emblem of Iraq's religious heritage, the Great Mosque of al-Nuri, at around 9 pm on Wednesday, June 21.
The mosque's almost thousand-year-old history and architecture made it a symbol of Mosul's old city.
Built between 1171 and 1173 on the orders of Nur ad Din, a leading fighter of the Crusaders, the al-Nuri mosque was famous for its leaning 45-meter high minaret. Among its several nicknames, Mosul residents referred to it as "Al Hadba", the humpback.
Over time, its architectural uniqueness transformed it into a genuine symbol, with tradition affirming that the tilt was a sign of veneration for the Isra, the Night Journey of the Prophet Mohamed told in the 17th Sura of the Koran.
At the time of the reconstruction of the mosque in 1942, the Al Hadba minaret was among the few original parts of al-Nuri that remained intact.
After the taking of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in August 2014, ISIS developed a plan to destroy the al-Nuri mosque as well as other religious and historic buildings regarded as "idolatrous" in a process of "purification".
In protest, Mosul residents formed a human chain in front of the monument. Jihadi leaders, who were then still at the beginnings of their reign, finally ceded in an effort to win support from the inhabitants of Iraq's largest Sunni city to its cause.
An act of destruction with a highly political dimension
Known as the pride of Mosul, the red brick monument, which was an icon of medieval Arabic architecture, thus joins the long list of religious edifices destroyed by ISIS since the beginning of its territorial expansion in Syria and Iraq in the summer of 2014.
"As a model of cultural and civilizational nihilism, ISIS has carried out of a hemorrhagic destruction of the historical and religious heritage of Syria and Iraq," anthropologist, Hosham Dawod told La Croix.
"The organization has implemented a complete disfigurement of Christian, Yezidi and Sunni holy places."
Dawod, a CNRS researcher and specialist on Iraq, emphasizes the "symbolic" dimension of the destruction of the al-Nuri Great Mosque.
"By annihilating this emblem of Mosul, ISIS deprives its adversary, namely the Iraqi armies, of a material victory.
"The moment should have been the symbol of the complete retaking of the city. As a result of this annihilation and above all by the destruction of the minaret, the Iraqi army's victory becomes embittered and incomplete," Dawod said.
As an emblem of Iraqi heritage, the destroyed mosque also allows ISIS to "sow doubt".
"The other political significance of this religious building is for ISIS propaganda purposes, i.e. accusing the coalition of being responsible for the bombardment of the mosque. And thus they aim to create confusion among the population," Dawod explained.
Paradoxically, ISIS destroyed the monument where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed himself as "caliph" of the Islamic State on July 31, 2014.
This announcement remains the only public appearance of al-Baghdadi to date.
"In doing this, ISIS wants to signal that the 'caliphate' is able to exist without a territorial zone of its own and that it could have a virtual existence," Dawod said.
"Thus the destruction of this holy place also has a very important political dimension."
Get the latest from La Croix International. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter.
You may also like
Care for our common home: Sri Lanka's deadly garbage disaster
France's president challenges country's Muslims
Religious leaders in Ivory Coast discuss clandestine migration
Church says death toll in DRC's war-torn province passes 3,000
Ceasefire immediately 'violated' in the Central African Republic
SUPPORT LA CROIX INTERNATIONAL’S COMMUNITY OF READERS
Support La Croix International's unique blend of international Catholic journalism by making it available to people in Asia and Africa who can't afford a subscription and often don't have credit cards to pay for it either.
Vatican "foreign minister" calls for a world without nuclear weapons
Indian Christians cower under anti-religious conversion laws
Catholic bishops in Peru address refugee issue
Water-borne diseases add to Pakistan’s flood woes
"Vote according to your conscience", bishops tell Brazilians
Why Pope Francis did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
Celebrating gay relationships in church is actually quite Catholic
The elderly pope's patience is put to the test
Elizabeth II, the “last Christian monarch”, has died
A challenge for Europe
Shaking up the economy
Peace, our common good
For 70 years she “was” the United Kingdom
Cooperation rather than competition
The elderly pope's patience is put to the test
Francis continues his push for a humbler, more open Church
The pope and the praying menace
What was the August meeting of cardinals really about?
Is Christian hospitality enough?
"What fraternity does assisted suicide build?"
Live, learn, forget, repeat
When timing is paramount
The pandemic, Christian faith and the perils of kids living in the digital world
"It’s been powerful to watch people enunciate a theology of care for creation"
Laudato si’ guides Indian archdiocese to help fisherfolk
Brazilian bishops stand up for the Yanomami people
The Gaia Man, James Lovelock
Pope calls for a new relationship with God, others and Creation
| Catholic Digest | UCAN | Living in faith | La Croix Africa | La Croix español
About Us | Contact Us| Newsletter Sign-up| Donate| Terms and Conditions| FAQ| La Croix| Confidentiality Policy| Sitemap