Cultural Destruction by Islamic State Continues with No End in Sight

[flamingdem]

While the destruction in Gaza, the Ukraine, and other conflict zones may be as harrowing, the recent rise of the Islamic State (IS), formerly ISIS or ISIL, is particularly worrying to the art world since it is taking place in an area rich with important archeological sites. Stopping the devastating impact of IS on the people of the region is certainly people’s first priority, but it is also necessary to assess the cultural and historical impact on world heritage. Since our last report in early July, the destruction has not stopped. Here are some notable examples (in no particular order).

Aramaic Language on the Brink

Known as the language of Jesus because it was the lingua franca of the Roman province of Judea and neighboring regions, Aramaic is an endangered language that may disappear faster than anyone ever imagined because of IS offensives.

As Foreign Policy wrote earlier this month, “We may be watching the deliberate destruction of Aramaic, unfolding in real time.”

Last week, 50 Neo-Aramaic scholars from around the world wrote an open letter that begins:

A genocide was perpetrated 99 years ago upon the Christians of the Middle East, including the Aramaic-speaking Assyrians, Chaldeans and Aramaeans. Now we see history repeating itself.

As UNESCO has long known, not all cultural heritage is physical, but also comprised of intangible things like traditions and language. As linguist Ken Hale explained a few years ago, the destruction of a language is like “dropping a bomb on the Louvre” as an entire system of knowledge, behavior, and culture is lost forever.

The death of a linguistic tradition is something that should be mourned by the world.

$36 Million of Looted Artifacts

more at link

http://hyperallergic.com/143910/cultural-destruction-by-islamic-state-continues-with-no-end-in-sight/

[Scootaloo]

1. Well, thank god it's IS doing it

'Cause nobody gave a fuck when the US basically did more damage to cultural treasures of Mesopotamia than Hulagu did in the 13th century.

I guess it makes a difference when it's brownish Muslims and not whitish Christians. But hey, whatever it takes to get the erosion noticed.

[flamingdem]

2. Inform me cuz I don't know about that

Is there a particular site that they bombed or are you talking about the war in general?

[Scootaloo]

4. there was a massive amount of looting and destruction after the fall of the Baathists

Remember when Rumsfeld said "Freedom is messy?" This is what he was saying it in response to. Pretty much every archaological site in Iraq has been looted, and museums were raided right in front of US soldiers'; noses - they were ordered to not intervene, presumably because, well, "Freedom Is Messy"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeological_looting_in_Iraq

I also recall a story about a section of Babylon being commandeered as a helipad. Unfortunately all Googgle is giing me is a bunch of reggae music

Bu like I said, thank goodness that now it's someone hte world is willing to shit-talk doing it.

[flamingdem]

6. Thanks. What the US did there was hideous

and I remember hearing about that now.

The difference is that Isis is doing it on purpose and they are very complete.

The world is stuck with the end results of both disasters.

[Shivering Jemmy]

3. That makes it ok

Thanks for that perspective

[Scootaloo]

5. No, it doesn't, which is my point

it's not okay, but at least now someone is perking up and noticing that it's not okay.