International Journal of Islamic Architecture, 2017
This article examines the rationale behind ISIS’s (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) destruction o... more This article examines the rationale behind ISIS’s (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) destruction of the historical monuments in the Iraqi town of Mosul. Their demolition campaign started shortly after this radical organization seized control of the town on June 10, 2014 and was systematically tracked by the authors during the first fifteen months of their control of Mosul. Analysis of satellite imagery, historical literature and ISIS’s propaganda material shows that the main object of their destruction was funerary architecture. The collected data has been interpreted within the context of the discourse regarding the destruction of graves in Salafi teachings. The article assumes that among the range of possible reasons for ISIS’s behaviour toward Mosul’s architecture, special importance should be ascribed to the religious doctrine of taswiyat al-qubur (the levelling of graves). This particular policy has been supported by Salafi scholars and ideologists and often vigorously invoked by religious institutions within Saudi Arabia.
The article focuses on the position of sorcery within Islam, reactions to it by the religious ort... more The article focuses on the position of sorcery within Islam, reactions to it by the religious orthodoxy and, mainly, political reasons that make some countries to harshly persecute these practices. Sorcery today, in the form of practicing malevolent magic, is usually considered un-Islamic. In several Muslim countries, most notably Saudi Arabia, strict sorcery laws have been passed and accusation of sorcery can lead to death sentence. The article argues that there are many parallels to this phenomenon also in European history (no standardized or legal definitions of witchcraft, gender aspect, and especially occurrence of witch-hunts at times of political uncertainty, acute crisis or needs to fend off rebellions). The witchcraft prosecutions can thus be seen as deliberate acts aimed at showing the all-powerful state as a guardian of public virtue together with its growing legal power. As such, it also serves as legitimizing vehicle for the state.
The article deals with the impact of the Arab uprisings on Islamism in its various forms (from th... more The article deals with the impact of the Arab uprisings on Islamism in its various forms (from the mainstream movements to the radical ones). It specifically addresses the issues revolving around the influence of politicization on Islamist movements and it describes the recent evolu- tion of Salafi and Jihadi trends (especially as influenced by their participation in everyday politics and the war in Syria). The author argues that various Islamist tendencies have experienced significant levels of transformation in recent years, thus necessitating a reshaping of our understanding of this phenomenon.
We are releasing a list and interactive map of destroyed monuments of Mosul created through analy... more We are releasing a list and interactive map of destroyed monuments of Mosul created through analysis of satellite imagery. The list and map are interconnected with profile lists of individual monuments showing satellite images documenting the scope of the destruction. The map documents the situation as of the end of August 2015.
In various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades virulent attacks have targeted Islami... more In various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades virulent attacks have targeted Islamic funeral and sacral architecture. Rather than being random acts of vandalism, these are associated with the idea of performing one’s religious duty as attested to in the Salafi/Wahhabi tradition and texts. Graves, shrines and tombs are regarded by some Muslims as having the potential to tempt a believer to polytheism. Hence the duty to level the graves to the ground (taswiyat al-qubūr).
In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS.
International Journal of Islamic Architecture, 2017
This article examines the rationale behind ISIS’s (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) destruction o... more This article examines the rationale behind ISIS’s (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) destruction of the historical monuments in the Iraqi town of Mosul. Their demolition campaign started shortly after this radical organization seized control of the town on June 10, 2014 and was systematically tracked by the authors during the first fifteen months of their control of Mosul. Analysis of satellite imagery, historical literature and ISIS’s propaganda material shows that the main object of their destruction was funerary architecture. The collected data has been interpreted within the context of the discourse regarding the destruction of graves in Salafi teachings. The article assumes that among the range of possible reasons for ISIS’s behaviour toward Mosul’s architecture, special importance should be ascribed to the religious doctrine of taswiyat al-qubur (the levelling of graves). This particular policy has been supported by Salafi scholars and ideologists and often vigorously invoked by religious institutions within Saudi Arabia.
The article focuses on the position of sorcery within Islam, reactions to it by the religious ort... more The article focuses on the position of sorcery within Islam, reactions to it by the religious orthodoxy and, mainly, political reasons that make some countries to harshly persecute these practices. Sorcery today, in the form of practicing malevolent magic, is usually considered un-Islamic. In several Muslim countries, most notably Saudi Arabia, strict sorcery laws have been passed and accusation of sorcery can lead to death sentence. The article argues that there are many parallels to this phenomenon also in European history (no standardized or legal definitions of witchcraft, gender aspect, and especially occurrence of witch-hunts at times of political uncertainty, acute crisis or needs to fend off rebellions). The witchcraft prosecutions can thus be seen as deliberate acts aimed at showing the all-powerful state as a guardian of public virtue together with its growing legal power. As such, it also serves as legitimizing vehicle for the state.
The article deals with the impact of the Arab uprisings on Islamism in its various forms (from th... more The article deals with the impact of the Arab uprisings on Islamism in its various forms (from the mainstream movements to the radical ones). It specifically addresses the issues revolving around the influence of politicization on Islamist movements and it describes the recent evolu- tion of Salafi and Jihadi trends (especially as influenced by their participation in everyday politics and the war in Syria). The author argues that various Islamist tendencies have experienced significant levels of transformation in recent years, thus necessitating a reshaping of our understanding of this phenomenon.
We are releasing a list and interactive map of destroyed monuments of Mosul created through analy... more We are releasing a list and interactive map of destroyed monuments of Mosul created through analysis of satellite imagery. The list and map are interconnected with profile lists of individual monuments showing satellite images documenting the scope of the destruction. The map documents the situation as of the end of August 2015.
In various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades virulent attacks have targeted Islami... more In various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades virulent attacks have targeted Islamic funeral and sacral architecture. Rather than being random acts of vandalism, these are associated with the idea of performing one’s religious duty as attested to in the Salafi/Wahhabi tradition and texts. Graves, shrines and tombs are regarded by some Muslims as having the potential to tempt a believer to polytheism. Hence the duty to level the graves to the ground (taswiyat al-qubūr).
In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS.
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In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS.
In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS.