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Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2012-12-30 02:48||
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#1 For 250 years, Masood Akhundzada's family has protected Afghanistan's most sacred artifact: a cloak said to have been worn by the prophet Muhammad. Its power drew Afghan kings and presidents and Taliban leaders to a small, blue shrine in a city conquered by Alexander the Great and contested ever since.
By the time Akhundzada inherited the guardianship in 2008, it was an honor that came at a high price. Five previous guardians -- his father, brothers and cousins -- had been assassinated, shot in their offices, in markets and airports. They were hunted, most believed, for their connection to a piece of Islamic history that the insurgency wanted desperately to reclaim.
An interesting bit of Afghan history I was totally unaware of.
Posted by Glenmore 2012-12-30 08:16||
2012-12-30 08:16||
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#2 So doesn't this make the Cloak an IDOL? What does Islam say about that?
Posted by CrazyFool 2012-12-30 08:28||
2012-12-30 08:28||
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#3 Nope, it's a relic. They were quite the rage in medieval Europe too.
Posted by lotp 2012-12-30 09:09||
2012-12-30 09:09||
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#4 ...and when they look at the label it says "Made in China".
Posted by AlanC 2012-12-30 09:21||
2012-12-30 09:21||
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#5 The man want's the old cloak Miriam, turn on the Old Light!
Posted by Shipman 2012-12-30 09:32||
2012-12-30 09:32||
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#6 "The fight between the Taliban and the Afghan government ...is as much a war over symbols as territory."
Unfortunately the consensus among the Western political class has been that the 'enemy' is not to be engaged on the battlefield of ideas at all.
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