Whitewashing the Islamists
Socialist Worker has avoided explicit support for the Islamist militias which ruled northern Mali from April 2012 until recently. But in its 9 February issue it sidled to the defence of what it sarcastically called “the dastardly Islamists”. “Media” accused the Islamists of destroying Timbuktu's unique holdings of ancient manuscripts. “But it was never true”. In fact, the Islamists torched the building where the manuscripts where kept, but most were saved because staff had hidden them elsewhere shortly before the militias seized Timbuktu last year. Socialist Worker takes the credit due to the...