These spirits were called the "spirits of the land" (Culture:Religion, 2002) and were worshiped by all Malian people. As trading become more frequent, the Islamic religion started to establish itself within Mali. Soon many Malian started to worship this religion rather that their ancestors. To this day, there are still many Malians that worship the spirits and visit mosques and other religious grounds like Sidi Yahya often. The destruction of these historical places is saddening for the greater community of Mali, and with every building demolished, a little bit of the Malian culture is destroyed as well.
Along with these terrible destructions, all of the crime and fighting has left many Malian people with other crucial problems on their hands. Today, the government is still very unstable. They have many groups fighting for a voice in government issues and an economy that cannot provide for its’ country. This has caused many other problems including displacement of citizens, poverty, disease, and possibly the most crucial at the moment, food insecurity. Right now in Mali over three million people are at risk of not finding enough food to eat. That means seventy two percent of households are dependant on food assistance. This is one of Mali’s most relevant issues and must be dealt with immediately or the “number of vulnerable people facing food crisis is projected to double” (Oxfam International, 2014) and their country cannot afford to find themselves in another food crisis.
Resources:
(1) Nossiter, A. (2012, July 02). Mali Islamists Exert Control, Attacking Door to a Mosque. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/world/africa/mali-islamists-exert-control-with-attacks-on-mosques.html?_r=0
(2) Mark, M. (2012, July 03). Malian Islamists attack world heritage site mosques in Timbuktu. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/02/mali-islamists-attack-world-heritage-mosques-timbuktu
(3) Culture::Religion, Mali - PWNET. (2002). Retrieved from http://mali.pwnet.org/history/history_religion.htm
(4) Northern Mali on the brink of a new food crisis. (2014, January 31). Retrieved from http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2014-01-31/northern-mali-brink-new-food-crisis
Cultural Destruction
Destruction of Historical Sites Surpresses the Love for Culture Within the Hearts of Many Malian Citizens
By Anna Rebscher
Same Tomb bieng raided by Islamists