Sir, – Paul Williams (February 15th) argues in favour of the deployment of Irish troops to Mali in order to ward off Islamists and their “medieval and primitive legal system”.
There is no doubting the abhorrent and brutal nature of the horrors that had been imposed on the people of northern Mali. However, given the historical heritage of Mali, Mr Williams could perhaps have chosen a more suitable adjective than “medieval” to describe the situation. The Malian cities of Djenné, Timbuktu and Gao serve as prominent examples of the sophisticated and learned Islamic culture that thrived in the region in the later Middle Ages.
Indeed, this rich cultural heritage has been put at risk by the Islamists, with reports indicating that valuable medieval manuscripts housed at the Timbuktu Unesco world heritage site were being burnt by the retreating militants. – Yours, etc,