Armed Men 'Behead' Poet's Statue in Syria

Unidentified members of an armed group in northern Syria have cut off the head of a statue honoring Abbasid-era poet Abou al-Alaa al-Maari, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

"An armed group in the (rebel-held) town of Maaret al-Numan have cut off the head of a sculpture honoring the memory of poet and philosopher Abou al-Alaa al-Maari, who was born in the town," said the Britain-based Observatory.

It was not clear who the vandals were but Syrian activists from the town accused al-Nusra Front Islamist extremists for the act, and distributed a photograph of the ruined sculpture which was also riddled with bullets.

Rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad overran Maaret al-Numan, which is located in northwestern Syria, in October last year.

Abou al-Alaa al-Maari, was born Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Suleiman in Maaret al-Numan in 973. He lost his eyesight at a young age but rose to become one of the greatest Arab poets known for his criticism of Islam and other religions.

In one of his best known works, he wrote: "There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have a mind and no religion, and those who have religion but no mind."