ISIS Destruction of Monuments in Palmyra a ‘Zionist Demand’, Says Culture Minister
Minister of Culture Mohammad al-Ahmad has underscored that ISIS destruction of the façade of the Roman Theater and the Tetrapylon in the ancient city of Palmyra is a ‘war crime’ and ‘Zionist demand’.
Speaking in a press conference held Sunday at the National Museum of Damascus, the minister said: “What happened in Palmyra last Friday is a Zionist demand and a Zionist attempt backed by the west and oil sheikhdoms [Gulf states] to destroy our identity, heritage and civilization.”
He asserted that monuments in Palmyra don’t belong to the Syrians alone but to the entire world, so the world must fulfil its responsibility towards the ‘unprecedented brutality’ and to adopt serious steps to stand by Syria in its war for defending Palmyra civilization from terrorists.
“Any failure or weakness at this time poses a threat to Palmyra city and it will be a clear evasion of moral and humanitarian duties towards protection of world heritage,” al-Ahmad said, adding that ISIS terrorists are seeking to carry out acts of sabotage as an attempt to retaliate for Syrian Arab army’s victories over terrorism.
“Many countries in the west and in the east were not happy with Syria’s independence, values and civilization. Therefore, they sent the scum of the earth to our country to destroy the Syrian people’s will and to drag them into subordination as well as to subject them to colonialists of the 21st century. Their goal was to destroy everything related to Syria’s civilization,” the minister clarified.
Enlightened thought
He affirmed that Syria, the cradle of civilizations, will never be a place to promote criminal ideas. ” Cultural institutes in Syria, including the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, work on consolidating enlightened thought in parallel with victories being realized by Syrian Arab army and allied forces against terrorism.”
The minister stressed that the DGAM increased its projects and opened exceptional relations with world cultural organizations during the ongoing terror war on Syria.
“The DGAM documented all artifacts moved from museums of Deir Ezzour, Aleppo, Palmyra, Hama, Homs, Daraa, Quneitra, Sweida, Lattakia and Tartous to Damascus and safe areas…90% of museum collections were saved in cooperation with local community,” al-Ahmad said, indicating the proportion of theft from archaeological sites, including Raqqa museum, is less than 1%.
He pointed out that the Aga Khan Development Network presented an official offer to rehabilitate the old building of Palmyra museum, to build a new museum near it and to restore Aleppo citadel and walls.
International tutelage rejected
On his part, the DGAM’s Director-General Maamoun Abdul Karim stressed that proposals of the international tutelage on Syrian monuments are completely turned down, wondering how the French President François Hollande, whose country is involved in war on Syria, can implement this tutelage and protect the Syrian cultural heritage.
“The French government practices pressures on the activities of the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums in the European arena,” Abdul Karim asserted, referring to the importance of coordination between Syria and Iraq to confront ISIS attacks on cultural heritage in the two countries.
“Liberation of Palmyra from terrorism is a cultural battle, which is important for the whole world. If there is no quick movement in the coming stage, there will be more disasters,” the DGAM’s Director-General concluded. ‘
Egypt condemns ISIS destruction in Palmyra
In this context, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned ISIS destruction of the façade of the Roman Theater and the Tetrapylon in the ancient city of Palmyra, a World Heritage site.
“Destruction of archeological sites by ISIS reflects the extremist thinking of this organization, which does not believe in cultural diversity and incites violence and terrorism,” Spokesman of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Ahmad Abo Zied said in a statement released today.
He called on the international community to intensify its effort to confront terrorism and extremist ideologies, which are against humanity.
Related links: http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/culturt/26649-australian-artist-luke-cornish-pays-tribute-to-palmyra-archeologist-khaled-al-asa-ad
http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/culturt/24832-isis-barbarity-in-palmyra
http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/culturt/23472-replica-of-palmyra-s-triumphal-arch-erected-in-london
Basma Qaddour