Kabul: Senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani visited the tomb of 11th century Turkic Muslim invader Mahmud of Ghazni and praised him for establishing a “strong Muslim rule in the region” and for “smashing the idol of Somnath”, in reference to Ghazni having plundered and destroyed the famous temple in Gujarat several times.
“Today, we visited the shrine of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, a renowned Muslim warrior and Mujahid of the 10th century. Ghaznavi (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) established a strong Muslim rule in the region from Ghazni and smashed the idol of Somnath,” Haqqani, the brother of Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani tweeted, with photos of the visit.a
“The shrines of these honors inspire us with freedom, pride and courage,” he added.
Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is on the FBI's wanted list of global terrorists and has a $5 million bounty on his head by the US. The Haqqanis are on the UN list of proscribed terrorists.
Coincidentally, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of the trust which manages the Somnath Temple, located in Prabhas Patan town in Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district. PM Modi, one of the trustees of the Shree Somnath Trust, was named to the top post in January this year.
Mahmud of Ghazni looted the Somnath temple of its riches, and destroyed it several times between 1000 and 1024 AD. However, each time it was rebuilt in greater splendour. (UNI)