Iconoclasm

Literally, iconoclasm is the destruction of religious icons and other sacred images or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. In Christian circles, iconoclasm has generally been motivated by a literal interpretation of the second of the ten commandments, which forbids the making and worshipping of "graven images". It has sometimes been motivated by christological or even political concerns as well.

Islamic iconoclasm

Because of the prohibition against figural decoration in mosques — not, as is often said, a total ban on the use of images — some Muslim groups have on occasion committed acts of iconoclasm against the devotional images of other religions. A recent example of this is the 2001 destruction of frescoes and the monumental statues of the Buddha at Bamiyan by the radical Muslim sect and nationalist group, the Taliban.

Related Topics:
Fresco - Monumental statues of the Buddha - Bamiyan - Taliban

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Historically, despite a religious prohibition on destroying or converting houses of worship, conquering Muslim armies would on occasion replace local temples or houses of worship with mosques. An example is the Hagia Sophia, Church of the Holy Wisdom, in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople which was converted into a mosque in 1453, when its mosaics were covered with plaster. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is said to have been built on top of the remains of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Some ultra-religious Jewish messianic groups believe that only by similarly demolishing the Dome of the Rock and rebuilding the Jewish Temple, can the messiah come to earth. This has led to frequent tension between Jews and Muslims over the site.

Related Topics:
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Constantinople - 1453 - Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem - Temple in Jerusalem

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Similar acts of iconoclasm occurred in parts of north Africa.

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In India, a number of former Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were conquered and rebuilt as mosques. In recent years, right-wing Hindu nationalists have torn down some of these mosques, such as the famous Babri Masjid, and attempted to replace them with Hindu Temples.

Related Topics:
India - Babri Masjid

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