As if murdering innocent people and tearing down UNESCO-protected monuments of cultural heritage weren't bad enough, the Mali Islamists, may they burn forever in Hell, apparently destroyed thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of rare manuscripts in Timbuktu, many of which the South African-sponsored Ahmed Baba Institute.

Like the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban and subsequent smashing of the treasures of the Kabul museum, this is an attack on what makes humanity human, on the spirit that helps us rise up above the miseries of everyday life to sense the wonder and glory of creation.

These sorts of people should be hunted down, flayed and rolled in salt. By their behavior they have shown they are not worth being treated any better.