Armed men "behead" Syria poet statue
Unidentified members of an armed group in northern Syria have cut off the head of a statue honoring Abbasid-era poet Abu al-Alaa al-Maari, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
"An armed group in the [rebel-held] town of Maaret al-Numan have cut off the head of a sculpture honoring the memory of poet and philosopher Abu al-Alaa al-Maari, who was born in the town," said the Britain-based Observatory.
Abu al-Alaa al-Maari, was born Ahmed Bin Abdullah Bin Suleiman in Maaret al-Numan in 973. He lost his eyesight at a young age but rose to become one of the greatest Arab poets known for his criticism of Islam and other religions.
In one of his best known works, he wrote: "There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have a mind and no religion, and those who have religion but no mind."
Posted by: tipper 2013-02-12 |