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By George Grant.
Tripoli, 25 August:
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence and the Interior Minister are to be questioned by the . . .[restrict]National Congress tomorrow morning over their handling of the recent desecration of shrines by suspected Salafist extremists. The army Chief of Staff and several other officials have also been called.
In a public address this evening, Saturday, National Congress Speaker Mohammed Magarief described the desecration of Sufi shrines in Tripoli and Zliten over the past 48 hours as “disgraceful acts” and those involved as “criminals” who would be pursued.
The apparent failure of the ministries of defence and interior to prevent the destruction of the holy sites has drawn widespread condemnation across Libya.
“The destruction of shrines and mosques is a crime. Those who commit these crimes will be held responsible”, Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur said today. “I asked the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defence to intervene yesterday but they did not do their duty to protect these sites.”
This morning, the Al-Sha’ab Sufi shrine opposite the Radisson Blu hotel in Tripoli was attacked by suspected Salafists, little more than a day after one of Libya’s most important Sufi shrines, that of the Sidi Abdul-Salam Al-Asmar Al-Fituri in Zliten, was badly damaged following clashes that left at least three people dead.
Following the attack on the Tripoli shrine, heavy machinery moved in to complete the demolition, reportedly to excavate the tombs inside. The Interior Ministry allegedly authorised the move following “evidence of black magic” at the site. Worshippers were said to have previously prayed at the tombs.
The SSC sought to shut off the site throughout the process, and at least three journalists were called in for interrogation by the committee following their coverage of the destruction.
Sufi shrines are a not infrequent target of Salafists across the Islamic world, who believe that such veneration of human beings and physical objects constitutes idolatry.
In his address this evening, Magarief also suggested that there may have been official collusion in the attacks, saying that those responsible “are unfortunately aligned with some in the Supreme Security Committee and some ex-revolutionaries”.
Earlier today it was suggested that both the Interior Minister and the Minister of Defence had been fired over their handling of the attacks, although their summons before the Congress tomorrow appears to confirm that this is not the case. [/restrict]
