The tragedy of Palmyra

In May 2015, Daesh terrorists successfully took control of the ancient city of Palmyra. The Syrian government, along with historical societies and organizations, pleaded with the world to help retake the city from Daesh. Unfortunately, three months have passed and Daesh still maintains control over Palmyra.

Moreover, last week the terrorists demolished the ancient Temple of Baal Shamin. Although it was Daesh who destroyed the Temple of Baal Shamin, they are not solely to blame for this tragic incident. In fact, a great portion of the blame should be placed on the coalition forces that continually refuse to cooperate and support the Syrian government.

While the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russian Federation continue to support President Assad and call for other nations to unite in saving Syria and Iraq from Daesh, the American-led coalition forces continue to stubbornly remain strongly anti-Assad with the aim of weakening and removing the Assad government.

Along with the United States, countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates continue to provide weapons, training, and/or logistical support to anti-Assad militants. Moreover, the anti-Assad coalition forces continually attempt to curb the efforts of other nations and entities from assisting President Assad and the Syrian military. These efforts to weaken and remove Assad have greatly strengthened Daesh’s position in Syria, according to Alexey Makinin, the Tehran Times.

The Temple of Baal Shamin stood for three months under Daesh occupation before it was ultimately demolished. That means for three months there was time for the region to unite and combine efforts to help the Syrian military reclaim the ancient city of Palmyra.

Unfortunately, not once did nations such as the United States, Saudi Arabia or Turkey attempt to resolve their differences with the Syrian government in an effort to save Palmyra, which is not only historically significant to Syria, but to all of humanity. Instead, they continued to insist that Assad needs to step down; in other words, a ridiculous proposal with no substance or even the slightest resemblance of a practical solution for defeating Daesh.

The anti-Assad coalition wants to blame Assad for not protecting Palmyra, yet it is the very same critics who without hesitation have tried to weaken the Syrian government and oust President Assad. However, Assad is not to blame for the loss of Palmyra or the destruction of historical landmarks and artifacts; on the contrary, those who should be blamed are the governments who claim to be fighting Daesh in Syria, but due to their obsession to overthrow the Assad government, are in reality blindly fighting alongside Daesh.

The world lost an ancient treasure last week, the Temple of Baal Shamin, but not all of Palmyra’s history is gone. There may still be time for the Syrian military to reclaim and save what remains of the ancient city. However, in order to do so, the regional governments and their allies must come together with the Syrian government in achieving the common goal of destroying Daesh.

M. A