By Faisal Mohammed Ali
Ash, soot-stained walls, burnt furniture and charred pages: that’s all that remains of a 113-year-old madrassa library in India that once housed more than 4,500 books, including ancient manuscripts and sacred Islamic texts written in beautiful calligraphy.
The library was part of the Madrassa Azizia – a well-known religious school in Bihar Sharif town in the eastern state of Bihar – and was burnt down by a large mob on 31 March.
The incident place during the Hindu festival of Ram Navami. The rioters were armed with sticks, stones and petrol bombs and allegedly shouted provocative slogans near the madrassa before attacking it, locals told the BBC.
The incident was one among many that took place in the town that day – several people were injured and some vehicles and shops were attacked. Police have arrested several people in connection with the communal violence, and the investigation is ongoing….
After the truth-shower 