Dozens, if not hundreds, of historical sites in Iraq and Syria are at the mercy of the terrorist group, Islamic State (IS), and its thieves. The most important, beautiful, and ancient treasures of the Arab world are under threat; Egypt and other countries could face the same fate.
Backhoes are crushing museums in Mosul, ancient sculptures and other antiquities.
After the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, everything that was said by religious leaders who object to such actions does not seem to have changed the sentiments of Muslims, especially the extremists, who see the finest sculptures and statues as idols.
According to a religious ruling, making images or sculptures of anything that has a soul is forbidden. Buying and selling statues, supporting those who make them and installing them in homes and clubs are all forbidden. A Muslim is not allowed to earn his living by dealing in statues. However, making statues of anything that does not have a soul is allowed.
The destruction by IS of the museum in Mosul, the city under their control, has been described as an act of ignorance done by a terrorist group that cares for neither history nor human civilization.
The head of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Salim Al Jabouri, said: “These heinous groups prove every day that they are the enemies of Iraq, its past, present, and future.”
In one of the videos aired by IS, a spokesperson, standing in front of a big statue in what is believed to be Nineveh Archaeological Museum, pointed at the antique, saying: “People in the past owned these idols, which were worshiped other than God.” He added: “The so-called Assyrians, Akkadians and others had gods for rain, agriculture and war, that were associated with God, and what drew them closer to these false gods was the offering of sacrifices.”
Archaeologists and experts consider Nineveh Archaeological Museum in the Iraqi city of Mosul one of the most important museums in the world, as it houses thousands of ancient artefacts.
Local sources in Nineveh governorate revealed that armed IS members had burned more than 8,000 rare books and manuscripts from the central library of Mosul.
Experts say that IS has also declared war on the rich heritage of Syria and is about to destroy its religious diversity.
The Organisation for Defending Monuments has counted 450 cases of destruction of sites in Syria since July 2014. Possibly the number of such cases has increased since then, as operations to destroy religious sites began in September in Aleppo and rural Damascus. Antiquities from Syria are being traded across borders and the value of stolen antiques is believed to have reached $2bn.
Syria, which is rich in historical monuments and sites, is witnessing the annihilation of its great cultural heritage, which is being subjected to destruction by merciless hands. Theft and destruction by the IS is in addition to the destruction wrought by the war between the regime and rebels.
IS has earned millions of dollars from such theft, and since it controls regions with thousands of years old antiques, it will continue its crimes.
If IS is aware of what it can earn by selling the antiques, why does it destroy them? And how can the international community check trade in antiques by this group?
Some have called for the creation of an international body that will include all parties involved in the antique trade, such as governments, auction houses, museums, traders, insurance companies, ports and collectors, to ensure that the source of any antique is known before it is sold, transferred, insured, stored or displayed.
Such a move will help protect the cultural heritage and the monuments of the Middle East and also contribute to stopping the funding of terrorism.
The Muslim world forgot the cultural crimes of the Taliban in Afghanistan; will the actions of IS refresh its memory?
The author is a columnist and researcher
