Den erobrede sagnomspundne ørkenby, Timbuktu, har altid været islamisk, men islamisterne, der besatte den i det meste af et år, håndhævede strenge sharia-love tilsyneladende uden skånsel og ødelagde kulturskatte.
BAMAKO, 28 January 2013 (IRIN): Residents of Gao and Timbuktu in northern Mali expressed relief after French and Malian forces re-took the towns from Islamist militia, but said they faced an enormous task in rebuilding the cities.
The forces recaptured Timbuktu on 28 January, three days after they seized Gao to the east of Timbuktu.
Malian forces say they faced no resistance from Islamist groups in Timbuktu, most of whom had fled the city before the forces arrived.
Timbuktu had been under the control of Ansar Dine which destroyed ancient shrines (kulturskatte) and artefacts in the UNESCO-listed site.
“We were like prisoners in our own town. Timbuktu has always been an Islamic city, no one can dictate to us religious precepts (forskrifter /regler). I always wondered in the name of what religion these people were acting,” said Timbuktu’s mayor, Ousmane Hallé Maïga, thanking French and Malian forces for freeing his city.
“To impose Sharia on peaceful citizens, believers, devout Muslims – how does this happen?” He continued.
“We can heave a sigh of relief,” said Aboubacar Maïga, president of Timbuktu’s Youth Council.
“We can smoke in the streets if we want to, women can wear what they want. We hope that our parents, who fled and are now refugees, will come back as soon as they can to pick up their lives and rebuild our beautiful city.”
The Islamist groups had imposed a strict brand of Sharia, or Islamic law, in the regions under their control and amputated or flogged (pisket) those accused of flouting (overtræde) the rules.
Rebuilding
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http://www.IRINnews.org/Report/97353/Relief-as-Mali-towns-recaptured
