Προσβολή του Σταυρού και βεβήλωση Χρ. Νεκροταφείου στη Λιβύη από Ισλαμιστές

Canadian airman's grave destroyed by Libyan mob

Graves of non-Muslims have reportedly been desecrated at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Benghazi, Libya. (YouTube)

Graves of non-Muslims have reportedly been desecrated at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Benghazi, Libya. (YouTube)

Updated: Mon Mar. 05 2012 10:06:55

CTVNews.ca Staff

The grave of a long-dead Canadian airman is among hundreds that have been smashed by a mob in the eastern Libya city of Benghazi.
According to media reports, the headstone of Flying Officer Martin Palmer Northmore is one of more than 200 recently toppled in the Benghazi War Cemetery and the Benghazi British Military Cemetery.
The desecration at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Benghazi, believed to have occurred in late February, was captured in an amateur video that has since been posted to YouTube.
According to a Reuters News Agency translation of voices heard in the video, including one heard uttering, "This is a grave of a Christian," the attacks appear specifically directed at non-Muslims.
The group of men, some of whom are armed and have their faces covered, are seen amongst broken and toppled headstones. Some can be seen pulling the grave markers from the ground, while others smash the stones with sledgehammers.
Others climb a ladder to hack at the towering Cross of Remembrance memorial.
The two cemeteries are home to more than 1,200 graves of soldiers from countries across the British Commonwealth, including the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.
All of them have been buried there since the years following the Second World War.
According to the British Foreign Office, in addition to the hundreds of headstones damaged at the Benghazi War Cemetery, as many as one-quarter of the gravesites at the Benghazi Military Cemetery were damaged.
In a statement released following the attacks last week, the Commonwealth Graves Commission promised to repair the damage.
"Both cemeteries will be restored to a standard befitting the sacrifice of those commemorated at Benghazi, but this could take some time because we will need to source replacement stones," the commission wrote, noting that it will first have to ensure conditions are safe for the restoration to proceed.
Reports attribute the attacks to angry retaliation in the wake of reports U.S. forces stationed in Afghanistan burned Qur'ans and other religious materials last month.
Whatever their motivation, the attacks prompted swift condemnation from the British when the issue was raised with local police, Libya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the offices of National Transitional Council Chairman Abdul Jalil and Prime Minister al-Kib.
"Should the reports prove accurate, we call on the Libyan interim government to investigate and hold to account those responsible," the spokesperson said.
In a statement posted to its own website, Libya's National Transitional Council conveyed its regrets and vowed to hold those responsible to account.
"The NTC apologises for the incident with the foreign graves, especially the British and Italian graves," the council said, describing the attacks as out of touch with Libyan attitudes and laws.
"The NTC will confront this matter and, in line with Libyan law, will pursue those people who committed this act. This action does not reflect Libyan public opinion because Islam calls for respect for other religions."
Northmore was just 21 when his Royal Air Force Hurricane fighter was shot down in North Africa. The Toronto native is one of 10 Canadians buried in the Benghazi War Cemetery.
Allied soldiers fought Axis forces in Libya and Egypt for three years, between 1940 and 1943.