Note that all the statues and icons have their faces destroyed our eyes gouged out. Islamic authorities consider that it is sufficient to destroy the representation of the face in order to ruin the image as a representation of the human form. That’s why the nose of the Sphinx is gone (which Islamic apologists blame on Napoleon’s troops having target practice) and why still-functioning churches in the Balkans have eyeless icons (which Islamic apologists blame on superstitious Christians using the paint of the eyes in potions).
Anyway: shhh! Do not speak of this! “Talk about extreme, militant Islamists and the atrocities that they have perpetrated globally might undercut the positive achievements that we Catholics have attained in our inter-religious dialogue with devout Muslims.” — Robert McManus, Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts, February 8, 2013
“The churches of Yabrud in ruins,” from al-Akhbar, April 1 (thanks to Filip):
Although the gunmen are gone, their sectarian fingerprint on Yabrud remains. All you have to do is visit St. Mary’s Greek Catholic Church to see the destruction. Icons have had their faces scratched out, church pews have been broken, statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ have been smashed, and the church Bibles have been burned.
(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)(Photo: Haitham Moussawi)