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August 26, 2012

WSJ: Attacks on shrines rattle Libya

by Margaret Coker
The Wall Street Journal

Libya's newly elected congress held an emergency session on Sunday about the destruction over the weekend of two of the country's most revered Sufi shrines by suspected religious extremists, who some lawmakers allege may have undertaken their actions in collusion with security officials.

The brazen attacks in two cities underscore the shaky nature of the emerging democracy in Libya, where elected officials have little sway over security forces. The destruction has raised fears that conservative religious groups—whose candidates were soundly beaten in the country's July election—may attempt to sabotage Libya's transition to a secular, modern state.

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