Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Islamic State Militants Destroy Two Historic Tombs In Palmyra, Syria
AP reported yesterday that in Syria, Islamic State militants have destroyed two historic mausoleums in or near their recently-captured historic city of Palmyra. One was the grave of Shiite saint Mohammad Bin Ali, a descendant of Imam Ali who was the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. The second was the grave of Sufi scholar Nizar Abu Bahaa Eddine. IS radicals are Sunnis who view Shiites as heretics and who believe that visiting tombs and religious shrines amounts to idol worship. Syria's Ministry of Culture posted photos of the destruction. CNN has additional details.