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'Islamic State' mocks burning of Notre Dame Cathedral, calling it 'retribution'

Salaam Times

An 'Islamic State' poster released on social media says "retribution" in front of images of the burning Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15. [File]

An 'Islamic State' poster released on social media says "retribution" in front of images of the burning Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15. [File]

While millions of people worldwide mourn the large-scale destruction of one of humanity's most cherished historic relics, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, "Islamic State" (IS) is celebrating the fiery event.

The inferno Monday (April 15) took about 15 hours to extinguish.

Most of the cathedral's roof has been destroyed, the steeple collapsed and an unknown number of artefacts and paintings were lost. Still, the walls, bell towers and the most famous circular stained-glass windows remain intact.

Mockery from IS

As the fires in Paris burned, an IS-affiliated group released a poster on social media depicting the cathedral on fire with the word "retribution" in Arabic.

Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15. [Fabien Barrau/AFP]

Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15. [Fabien Barrau/AFP]

Mockingly, it also said in French, "Have a good day" and "Its construction started in 1163 and was completed in 1345. It's time to say goodbye to your polytheistic oratory."

The statement is the latest sign of IS's disregard for cultural heritage and its spurious interpretation of Islam.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the predecessor of IS led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was the suspected perpetrator of the 2006 bombing of the Shia Al Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, also known as the Golden Mosque.

During its bloody reign over Mosul, Iraq, IS released a video in 2015 of its fighters attacking the Mosul Museum with sledgehammers and pneumatic drills, destroying priceless pre-Islamic artefacts that it considered insulting to its religion.

IS also blew up the Assyrian city of Nimrud, the ancient city of Hatra, and the centuries-old desert city of Palmyra, Syria.

The so-called "caliphate" of IS crumbled last month, leaving the group with no territory in which to claim after years of wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria.

An attempt to create rifts

Religious scholars around the world have condemned the IS statement.

Islam highly respects other religions, said Muhammad Saqib Rehman, a religious scholar in Pakistan.

"IS isn't representative of Islam; it represents a small group of terrorists, and therefore Christians should not take its statement seriously," said Rehman, a prayer leader in Peshawar.

"The incident has saddened Muslims around the world, and we are equally shocked by the fire in France," he said.

"There are small groups that want to create rifts among Muslims and Christians, but they will never succeed," Rehman said.

Islam advocates peace and brotherhood and respects the various religions practiced around the world, said Rehman, adding that any true Muslim would not express happiness over the fire.

Muslims hold in high esteem all places of worship, said Muhammad Rafiq, an Islamic studies lecturer at the University of Peshawar, while condemning the IS statement.

"It is the duty of Muslims to protect the places of worship of Christians, Hindus, etc., as if they were part of our religion. IS wants to advance its own agenda in the name of Islam, which is totally wrong," he said.

IS will never succeed in portraying Islam as a religion of hatred because it is a religion of peace and tolerance, Rafiq said.

"It has been clear from the teachings of the Koran that Islam promotes a culture of brotherhood towards those who follow other religions," he said.

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11 Comment(s)

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And not a word about how Russia destroyed ISIL - the USA's creation.

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In Russia they mocked this fire too.

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Provocation

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"It is the duty of Muslims to protect the places of worship of Christians, Hindus, etc., as if they were part of our religion. IS wants to advance its own agenda in the name of Islam, which is totally wrong." These are not the words of a Muslim scholar. This Pakistani wants peace, I get it but the duty of Muslims is to protect their own religion. Better not interfere with other religions especially with the intent to protect those. Help if you can, if you can't, better learn your religion to a tee rather than "protect" them. Other religions have oodles of their own defenders. There's nothing about Hindu and other religions said in the Quran, only about Christians and Jews.

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Muslims owe nothing to anyone, they only owe Allah

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Muslims guarantee peace and quiet everywhere on earth. That is the role of a Muslim.

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When they bombed the Muslim shrine and the whole world kept silence, [to hear from] those countries now mourning the ancient murals so much would be magnanimous [if they spoke up]. I disagree that mocking France today is right, but I also disagree with the double standards always applied by the European countries and the USA. If they are in trouble the whole world should serve them, but when they bring Muslim countries calamities exporting war, that's normal, bombing the mosque is also [normal]. And after the bombing they blew up and killed around 40 people. No one has re-built [the mosque], no one has paid the families of those killed anything. https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-39299988

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I completely support everything written here.

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Exactly right!!!

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It's necessary to re-build this monument.

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IT WOULD BE CORRECT TO SAY THAT ISLAM ACCEPTS DIVINE RELIGIONS.

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