Odyssey Online

It is unfortunately being report that retreating Islamist and Tuareg militants have destroyed libraries, …”containing thousands of ancient leather-bound books written in Arabic, Hebrew, African tribal languages, Turkish, and many other tongues, and covering topics like astronomy, poetry, music, politics, grammar, medicine, law, conflict resolution, and women’s rights. The oldest books were from the eleventh century…” Writing in the American Interest Walter Russell asserts, “In reality, as the torching of the great library of Timbuktu, a world class repository of Islamic history, religious writing and culture, shows, this is a war against civilization being waged by barbarian know-nothings.” Libraries are indeed their own ecosystem of understanding, and a corner of this ecosystem being reduced to ashes is a subtle electric jolt through all.  To imagine, what was lost is to mourn for Mali.