BREAKING: ISIS just blew up Jonah's tomb

[DigitalDrifter]

ISIS blows up Jonah's tomb

CNN) -- If you blink during the video, you might miss the moment Jonah's tomb in Mosul, Iraq, explodes.

The first few frames show the revered shrine towering over its landscape. There's a sudden burst of dust, fire and smoke.

Then, nothing.

CNN could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video, which was posted to YouTube.

The holy site is thought to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or fish in both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

Militants belonging to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, planted explosives around the tomb and detonated the explosion remotely Thursday, civil defense officials there told CNN.






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The tomb was inside a Sunni mosque called the Mosque of the Prophet Younis.

ISIS is waging war against the Iraqi government and has taken over several cities. It is seeking to create an Islamic caliphate that encompasses parts of Iraq and Syria and has begun imposing Sharia law in the towns it controls.

The group has threatened to destroy any shrine it deems un-Islamic.

Christian families fled Mosul this month after the al Qaeda splinter group issued an ultimatum to Iraqi Christians living there: either convert to Islam, pay a fine or face "death by the sword."

ISIS has blown up several Sunni holy sites in the last few weeks in Mosul.

Last month, it destroyed seven Shiite places of worship in the predominantly Shiite Turkmen city of Tal Afar, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Mosul, Human Rights Watch has reported, citing local sources.

The explosion at the tomb happened the same day eight people were killed and two others were wounded when Iraqi fighter jets bombed a store in the al-Dubat neighborhood, according to Dr. Mohammed Fadel, the director of Mosul's main hospital.

In central Baghdad, two car bombs exploded on a busy commercial street in the Karrada district. At least four people were killed and 14 others were wounded, police officials in the capital said.

Iraqi leaders elect a new president

Also Thursday, Iraqi lawmakers elected Fuad Masum to be the country's next president.

Masum is a veteran Kurdish politician and senior member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leadership council. He has been a member of the Iraqi parliament since 2005 and the head of the Kurdish alliance bloc there for the last four years.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Masum to congratulate him.

"They agreed on the importance of forming a new Iraqi government as quickly as possible and working to arrive at an agreed-upon road map for governance. President Masum expressed the importance of restoring trust and confidence among all of Iraq's communities and continuing to rebuild Iraq's relations in the region," according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, was in Iraq on Thursday to meet with senior Iraqi officials.

"In our conversations I reinforced the importance of quickly forming a government that is inclusive and representative of all Iraqis.

"I also underscored the point that, in the absence of political movement, any support the U.S. Government might consider providing could have only limited, short-term effects," Austin said in a statement.

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Officials: ISIS blows up Jonah's tomb in Iraq - CNN.com

 

[CaféAuLait]

I am surprised they blew up the oldest mosque in Mosul. I wonder what was so "un-Islamic" about it?

 

[DigitalDrifter]

I am surprised they blew up the oldest mosque in Mosul. I wonder what was so "un-Islamic" about it?

I don't know, but as far as being surprised, I'm really not. Nothing surprises me when it comes to this region of the world anymore.
This part of the world will be the death of us all if we're not careful. They are absolutely cuckoo.

 

[Moonglow]

Jonah is not a Christian tradition...

The holy site is thought to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or fish in both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

 

[Chuckt]

Jonah is not a Christian tradition...

The holy site is thought to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or fish in both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

I guess they didn't pay them for protection.

 

[Howey]

I am surprised they blew up the oldest mosque in Mosul. I wonder what was so "un-Islamic" about it?

I don't know, but as far as being surprised, I'm really not. Nothing surprises me when it comes to this region of the world anymore.
This part of the world will be the death of us all if we're not careful. They are absolutely cuckoo.

I am surprised at the faux rage over the possible maybe destruction of a shrine dedicated to a fictional character.

Was the whale blown up too? How about Pinocchio?

 

[Sally]

I am surprised they blew up the oldest mosque in Mosul. I wonder what was so "un-Islamic" about it?

I don't know, but as far as being surprised, I'm really not. Nothing surprises me when it comes to this region of the world anymore.
This part of the world will be the death of us all if we're not careful. They are absolutely cuckoo.

I am surprised at the faux rage over the possible maybe destruction of a shrine dedicated to a fictional character.

Was the whale blown up too? How about Pinocchio?

Actually Jonah was supposedly swallowed by a big fish, not a whale. Pinocchio lied to you. Meanwhile, I am kind of surprised at you. I would think that any civilized person would hate to see some antiquity destroyed. Haven't you ever gone into museums and appreciated being able to view things from the past?

 

[Moonglow]

I think it is in very bad taste to destroy anything that is a marvel or a historical timepiece, but Christians did it also when gaining power in Egypt and other old empires...So it is sad to see any extremist destroying what they believe to be anything short of what they cherish and consider to be okay in their religion...Which has led me to believe that fringe religions suck..as do fringe non-religious groups that destroy history..

 

[Chuckt]

I think it is in very bad taste to destroy anything that is a marvel or a historical timepiece, but Christians did it also when gaining power in Egypt and other old empires...So it is sad to see any extremist destroying what they believe to be anything short of what they cherish and consider to be okay in their religion...Which has led me to believe that fringe religions suck..as do fringe non-religious groups that destroy history..

Now they can say it never existed.

 

[westwall]

I don't know, but as far as being surprised, I'm really not. Nothing surprises me when it comes to this region of the world anymore.
This part of the world will be the death of us all if we're not careful. They are absolutely cuckoo.

I am surprised at the faux rage over the possible maybe destruction of a shrine dedicated to a fictional character.

Was the whale blown up too? How about Pinocchio?

Actually Jonah was supposedly swallowed by a big fish, not a whale. Pinocchio lied to you. Meanwhile, I am kind of surprised at you. I would think that any civilized person would hate to see some antiquity destroyed. Haven't you ever gone into museums and appreciated being able to view things from the past?

Howey has as much cultural and historical interest as your average gnat. It is terrible that the Islamonazis felt compelled to destroy a antiquity such as this.

 

[Godboy]

Jonah is not a Christian tradition...

The holy site is thought to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or fish in both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

I assure you, i didn't learn about Jonah and the whale in a mosque.

 

[Moonglow]

I think it is in very bad taste to destroy anything that is a marvel or a historical timepiece, but Christians did it also when gaining power in Egypt and other old empires...So it is sad to see any extremist destroying what they believe to be anything short of what they cherish and consider to be okay in their religion...Which has led me to believe that fringe religions suck..as do fringe non-religious groups that destroy history..

Now they can say it never existed.

oops...

 

[Moonglow]

Jonah is not a Christian tradition...

The holy site is thought to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or fish in both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

I assure you, i didn't learn about Jonah and the whale in a mosque.

How many times a day did you go to the mosque?

 

[Esmeralda]

I am surprised they blew up the oldest mosque in Mosul. I wonder what was so "un-Islamic" about it?

They are crazy terrorists, like the Taliban. You can't expect them to do reasonable things. They are and horribly vicious and murderous.

 

[Esmeralda]

I think it is in very bad taste to destroy anything that is a marvel or a historical timepiece, but Christians did it also when gaining power in Egypt and other old empires...So it is sad to see any extremist destroying what they believe to be anything short of what they cherish and consider to be okay in their religion...Which has led me to believe that fringe religions suck..as do fringe non-religious groups that destroy history..

I agree. This group, like the Taliban, is destroying our precious historical monuments. This is always very sad and very infuriating.

 

[CaféAuLait]

Jonah is not a Christian tradition...

The holy site is thought to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or fish in both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions...mosque called the Mosque of the Prophet Younis.

It says it is in both Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions. It was a Mosque not a church and the oldest Mosque in the town.

Muslim story:


Story of Prophet Yunus/Jonah (pbuh)

There are several prophets shared by Muslims and Christians.

Story of Prophet Yunus/Jonah (pbuh)

 

[DigitalDrifter]

This reminds me of when the Taliban destroyed the ancient Bamiyan statues of the Buddah.

 

[Meathead]

I am surprised they blew up the oldest mosque in Mosul. I wonder what was so "un-Islamic" about it?

I don't know, but as far as being surprised, I'm really not. Nothing surprises me when it comes to this region of the world anymore.
This part of the world will be the death of us all if we're not careful. They are absolutely cuckoo.

I am surprised at the faux rage over the possible maybe destruction of a shrine dedicated to a fictional character.

Was the whale blown up too? How about Pinocchio?

Just stick to being gay, you're not much of a human.

 

[Sunni Man]

ISIS blew it up because Sunni muslim theology forbids shrines or elaborate burial sites as it encourages praying at graves and idol worship. ..

 

[irosie91]

ISIS blew it up because Sunni muslim theology forbids shrines or elaborate burial sites as it encourages praying at graves and idol worship. ..

good to know------it creates an excellent reason to destroy all things associated with the fact
that the rapist pig of mecca is buried in a city renamed medina by his depraved followers who
worship that pig -----and adulate his filth. I support digging the pig out of the ground and
filling the hole with pig excrement as a rejection of idolotry