Militants abduct more Christians, smash ancient artifacts

[webfact]

Militants abduct more Christians, smash ancient artifacts
By ZEINA KARAM and SINAN SALAHEDDIN

BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State militants seized more Christians from their homes in northeastern Syria in the past three days, bringing the total number abducted by the extremist group to over 220, activists said Thursday.

At the same time, the extremists also released a video showing the continued destruction of the heritage of the lands under their control. It depicted men using sledgehammers to smash ancient Mesopotamian statues and other artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul.

The video, coinciding with mounting fears over the fate of the captive Christian Assyrians in Syria, sent a fresh wave of dread across the region, particularly among minorities who feel targeted by the group.

"Daesh is wiping Assyrian heritage in Mosul, and at the same time wiping them geographically from the face of the Earth," said Osama Edward, director of the Assyrian Network for Human Rights in Syria. He referred to the Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.

About 200 Assyrians and other Christians gathered in a church east of Beirut in solidarity with the victims in Syria and Iraq. Some cried openly.

One man held a banner that read: "We will not surrender, we will not be broken." A few young men said they were preparing to go to Syria to fight and help their brethren defend their homes against the Islamic State group.

The destruction of artifacts in the Mosul museum is part of a campaign by IS extremists who have destroyed a number of shrines — including Muslim holy sites — to eliminate what they view as heresy. They also are believed to have sold ancient artifacts on the black market in order to finance their bloody campaign in the region.

In the video released Thursday, militants used sledgehammers and drills to smash and destroy several large statues, which are then shown chipped and in pieces. The five-minute video also shows a black-clad man at an archaeological site in Mosul, drilling through and destroying a winged-bull — an Assyrian protective deity — that dates to the 7th century B.C.

The video was posted on social media accounts affiliated with the Islamic State group. Although it could not be independently verified by The Associated Press, it appeared to be authentic, based on knowledge of the Mosul Museum.

A professor at the Archaeology College in Mosul confirmed to the AP that the two sites depicted in the video are the city museum and a location known as Nirgal Gate, one of several gates to the capital of the Assyrian Empire, Ninevah.

"I'm totally shocked," Amir al-Jumaili said by phone from outside of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. "It's a catastrophe. With the destruction of these artifacts, we can no longer be proud of Mosul's civilization."

Very few of the museum pieces are not genuine, he said.

Irina Bokova, director general of the U.N.'s culture agency UNESCO, said in a statement that she was "deeply shocked" at the video. She said she asked for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council be convened "on the protection of Iraq's cultural heritage as an integral element for the country's security."

"I condemn this as a deliberate attack against Iraq's millennial history and culture, and as an inflammatory incitement to violence and hatred," Bokova said.

Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province fell to the militants in June 2014 after Iraqi security forces melted away.

In their push, the extremists captured large parts of both Iraq and neighboring Syria. They declared a self-styled caliphate on territories that are under their control, killing members of religious minorities, driving others from their homes, enslaving women and destroying houses of worship.

The Iraqi region under the control of the extremists has nearly 1,800 of the country's 12,000 registered archaeological sites, and the militants appear to be out to cleanse it of ideas they consider un-Islamic, including library books, relics and even Islamic sites considered idolatrous.

"The so-called Assyrians and Akkadians and others looked to gods for war, agriculture and rain to whom they offered sacrifices," said a man in the video, referring to groups that that left their mark on Mesopotamia for more than 5,000 years in what is now Iraq, eastern Syria and southern Turkey.

Islamic State militants ransacked the Central Library of Mosul in January, smashing the locks and taking about 2,000 books, while leaving only Islamic texts. Days later, militants broke into University of Mosul's library and built a bonfire out of hundreds of books on science and culture, destroying them in front of students.

"Is this how Assyrians who gave civilization are rewarded?" asked Edward from his base in Stockholm. "What is all this hate?"

Among the most important sites under the militants' control are four ancient cities: Ninevah, Kalhu, Dur Sharrukin and Ashur, which at different times were capitals of the mighty Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians first arose around 2,500 B.C. and once ruled from the Mediterranean coast to what is now Iran.

In Syria, fears mounted over the fate of the abducted Christians, with at least 220 now being held captive, according to activists.

An Assyrian in Beirut whose parents and sister were among a dozen relatives abducted said he called his father's mobile phone Monday and got a man who said: "This is the Islamic State." The man then briefly put the Assyrian's father on the line, and he said in a terrified voice not to worry, that they were being treated well. His relatives' mobiles have since been shut off. The Beirut resident spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his relatives' lives.

The abductions began Monday, when militants attacked a cluster of villages along the Khabur River, sending thousands of people fleeing to safer areas. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants picked up dozens more Assyrians from 11 communities near the town of Tal Tamr in the next few days.

The province, which borders Turkey and Iraq, has become the latest battleground in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. It is predominantly Kurdish but also has populations of Arabs and predominantly Christian Assyrians and Armenians.

Younan Talia, a senior official with the Assyrian Democratic Organization, said IS had raided 33 Assyrian villages, seizing as many as 300 people. Edward said his group had documented the names of 255 missing people.

It was not possible to reconcile the numbers, and the fate of the hostages remained unclear.

"We are praying for them and we are fasting," said the Assyrian in Beirut. "I don't care if they burn the villages down, but please let them return safe."
___

Salaheddin reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writer Cara Anna at the United Nations contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-27

[Paulc01]

Remember, it's not about religion. Obama, Hollande, Merkel, and the Danish PM said so. Ignore your eyes and listen to your "leaders."

[DoctorG]

yes... but don't you dare draw a cartoon of M.

[klauskunkel]

"We are praying for them and we are fasting," said the Assyrian in Beirut

yes, that will help

[FangFerang]

It is always easier to destroy than to create, and easier to hate than understand. As one poster misquoted many leaders, who actually said (paraphrased), "This is not about the Muslim faith, this is about extremists who have hijacked the Holy Q'uran and made it a document of lies."

There are Christian loons and Jewish loons too -- some people just like to get physical to prove their metaphysical beliefs (which is like pointing at the sea to refute the existence of deserts).

These animals are not human beings, and should be treated as such.

[Paulc01]

It is always easier to destroy than to create, and easier to hate than understand. As one poster misquoted many leaders, who actually said (paraphrased), "This is not about the Muslim faith, this is about extremists who have hijacked the Holy Q'uran and made it a document of lies."

There are Christian loons and Jewish loons too -- some people just like to get physical to prove their metaphysical beliefs (which is like pointing at the sea to refute the existence of deserts).

These animals are not human beings, and should be treated as such.

Understanding does not mean sympathizing. "Hate" precluding "understand[ing]" is a non sequitur.

[ezzra]

What took them so long? this is one of the Taliban's calling card and modus operando, to endeavor

to erase civilization back to the stone ages.... and yet, many hundreds of thousand are flocking

to support and fight with them...go figure what a screwy word we live in....

[Mot Dang]

This is a crime against humanity. What saddened me was the damage to the huge Lions. A photo of those lions was in one of my school history text books, I always marveled at their splender. Only a memory now !

Edited February 27, 2015 by Mot Dang

[Baerboxer]

What took them so long? this is one of the Taliban's calling card and modus operando, to endeavor

to erase civilization back to the stone ages.... and yet, many hundreds of thousand are flocking

to support and fight with them...go figure what a screwy word we live in....

We have to realize that ISIS have no rationality or desire to tolerate. They want to destroy anything that isn't their particular brand of Islam. They are fighting what they see as a holy war against anyone who isn't with them. Christians and Jews, even atheists and agnostics from so called Christian countries, are all legitimate targets for eradication to these nutters.

There is no way to negotiate, reason with or convince them otherwise. We have to realize that whatever your religious beliefs or non beliefs. political persuasion, race, nationality or sex, these loonies want to kill you in the most barbaric way and are convinced they will be handsomely rewarded by their god for doing so,

The only answer is to exterminate them before they do the same to you.

[jacko45k]

This is a crime against humanity. What saddened me was the damage to the huge Lions. A photo of those lions was in one of my school history text books, I always marveled at their splender. Only a memory now !

Yes, what have they got against lions? Didn't they used to eat Christians, and hence could be considered an ISIS ally.

Medieval religions and medieval behaviour.

[Grouse]

What took them so long? this is one of the Taliban's calling card and modus operando, to endeavor

to erase civilization back to the stone ages.... and yet, many hundreds of thousand are flocking

to support and fight with them...go figure what a screwy word we live in....

We have to realize that ISIS have no rationality or desire to tolerate. They want to destroy anything that isn't their particular brand of Islam. They are fighting what they see as a holy war against anyone who isn't with them. Christians and Jews, even atheists and agnostics from so called Christian countries, are all legitimate targets for eradication to these nutters.

There is no way to negotiate, reason with or convince them otherwise. We have to realize that whatever your religious beliefs or non beliefs. political persuasion, race, nationality or sex, these loonies want to kill you in the most barbaric way and are convinced they will be handsomely rewarded by their god for doing so,

The only answer is to exterminate them before they do the same to you.

It's not "their particular brand of islam" it IS islam. They are ALL the same. islam does not deserve a capital letter by the way.

[Seastallion]

What took them so long? this is one of the Taliban's calling card and modus operando, to endeavor

to erase civilization back to the stone ages.... and yet, many hundreds of thousand are flocking

to support and fight with them...go figure what a screwy word we live in....

We have to realize that ISIS have no rationality or desire to tolerate. They want to destroy anything that isn't their particular brand of Islam. They are fighting what they see as a holy war against anyone who isn't with them. Christians and Jews, even atheists and agnostics from so called Christian countries, are all legitimate targets for eradication to these nutters.

There is no way to negotiate, reason with or convince them otherwise. We have to realize that whatever your religious beliefs or non beliefs. political persuasion, race, nationality or sex, these loonies want to kill you in the most barbaric way and are convinced they will be handsomely rewarded by their god for doing so,

The only answer is to exterminate them before they do the same to you.

It's not "their particular brand of islam" it IS islam. They are ALL the same. islam does not deserve a capital letter by the way.

You seem to be filled with as much blinkered hatred as ISIS.

You are very wrong, they are not all the same, and Islam IS spelled with a capital.

[wwest5829]

It is always easier to destroy than to create, and easier to hate than understand. As one poster misquoted many leaders, who actually said (paraphrased), "This is not about the Muslim faith, this is about extremists who have hijacked the Holy Q'uran and made it a document of lies."

There are Christian loons and Jewish loons too -- some people just like to get physical to prove their metaphysical beliefs (which is like pointing at the sea to refute the existence of deserts).

These animals are not human beings, and should be treated as such.

Understanding does not mean sympathizing. "Hate" precluding "understand[ing]" is a non sequitur.

And condemning extremists does not equate with condemning everyone sharing a particular belief system. I condemn all extremists. Our mortal bodies cease but these destroyed heritage artifacts belong to all mankind.

[gigman]

It is always easier to destroy than to create, and easier to hate than understand. As one poster misquoted many leaders, who actually said (paraphrased), "This is not about the Muslim faith, this is about extremists who have hijacked the Holy Q'uran and made it a document of lies."

There are Christian loons and Jewish loons too -- some people just like to get physical to prove their metaphysical beliefs (which is like pointing at the sea to refute the existence of deserts).

These animals are not human beings, and should be treated as such.

Sorry , but animals are not stupid enough to do such things.....animals only could do such things if mad. Even elephants have their respect for places when they find own kind bones........

Those creatures who did this damage ; are just a virus.

[F430murci]

What took them so long? this is one of the Taliban's calling card and modus operando, to endeavor

to erase civilization back to the stone ages.... and yet, many hundreds of thousand are flocking

to support and fight with them...go figure what a screwy word we live in....

We have to realize that ISIS have no rationality or desire to tolerate. They want to destroy anything that isn't their particular brand of Islam. They are fighting what they see as a holy war against anyone who isn't with them. Christians and Jews, even atheists and agnostics from so called Christian countries, are all legitimate targets for eradication to these nutters.

There is no way to negotiate, reason with or convince them otherwise. We have to realize that whatever your religious beliefs or non beliefs. political persuasion, race, nationality or sex, these loonies want to kill you in the most barbaric way and are convinced they will be handsomely rewarded by their god for doing so,

The only answer is to exterminate them before they do the same to you.

It's not "their particular brand of islam" it IS islam. They are ALL the same. islam does not deserve a capital letter by the way.

You seem to be filled with as much blinkered hatred as ISIS.

You are very wrong, they are not all the same, and Islam IS spelled with a capital.

Just how do we tell the good uns from the bad ones? The bad ones are surreptitious, sneaky little bas@@@ds that sing praises of America is great, God bless America one day and then they are strapping bombs to themselves the next to blow up a bunch of women and children at a day care the next day.

At some point, a risk benefit and cost analysis needs to be done which may require throwing out the good with the bad to make sure the bad are gone.

[DLock]

Not all Muslims support ISIS.

But all of ISIS are Muslims.

The US rushed into Iraq under the pretext of WMD's, when there were none.

They are awfully slow to do more than some token air strikes in Syria and allow ISIS to grow bigger, bolder and more confident every day.

How many beheadings and terrorist acts will it take before the world gets serious.

Nuke them.

[copa8]

Similar to the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French troops during the Second Opium War.

[Lissos]

Similar to the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French troops during the Second Opium War.

Picture a scenario where hired thugs set fire to a centuries old manor house somewhere in England because of a business fued.

Centuries old artifacts are damaged in the fire, but the core drive was not about eradicating heritage. It was a fued.

Burning and looting of the Old Summer Palace was a grim tragedy, but it was a pure revenge move, not ideological as such.

90 years or so later, the Chinese themselves virtually eradicated the majority of their own imperial heritage, along with Tibet's.

Islamists destroying priceless ancient statues to pieces on camera because they declare them to be dangerous polytheistic 'idolatory from humanity's 'unenlightened' past which now must be snuffed out,' is closer to that foaming the mouth drive behind China's massive destruction of its own history before the era of Mao than the drive of European army's burning and looting of the Old Summer Palace. Just as with the ideological fanaticism which led to swarms of Chinese rushing into temples and monastery's to loot, burn and humiliate, the ideological fanaticism of Islamists is thick as two short planks. China has come to regret the actions that were carried out against China's heritage by their own hands, and they don't quite seem to get that reconstructing a building from the charred foundations up can't whitewash what happened, nor can it hold the same magic. One day we can only hope that the numptys who are now members of ISIS, will come to regret smashing up those incredible historical artifacts

[cookee68]

It is always easier to destroy than to create, and easier to hate than understand. As one poster misquoted many leaders, who actually said (paraphrased), "This is not about the Muslim faith, this is about extremists who have hijacked the Holy Q'uran and made it a document of lies."

There are Christian loons and Jewish loons too -- some people just like to get physical to prove their metaphysical beliefs (which is like pointing at the sea to refute the existence of deserts).

These animals are not human beings, and should be treated as such.

But unfortunately, they are still Muslims, and that will never change

[cookee68]

Good luck on trying to wipe out all the Christians, because they are and will always remain the biggest religion in the world, Christianity, so go ahead and smash those plates and burn those flags, but you will still always be known as scum in the eyes of the world

[hawker9000]

Similar to the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French troops during the Second Opium War.

Picture a scenario where hired thugs set fire to a centuries old manor house somewhere in England because of a business fued.

Centuries old artifacts are damaged in the fire, but the core drive was not about eradicating heritage. It was a fued.

Burning and looting of the Old Summer Palace was a grim tragedy, but it was a pure revenge move, not ideological as such.

90 years or so later, the Chinese themselves virtually eradicated the majority of their own imperial heritage, along with Tibet's.

Islamists destroying priceless ancient statues to pieces on camera because they declare them to be dangerous polytheistic 'idolatory from humanity's 'unenlightened' past which now must be snuffed out,' is closer to that foaming the mouth drive behind China's massive destruction of its own history before the era of Mao than the drive of European army's burning and looting of the Old Summer Palace. Just as with the ideological fanaticism which led to swarms of Chinese rushing into temples and monastery's to loot, burn and humiliate, the ideological fanaticism of Islamists is thick as two short planks. China has come to regret the actions that were carried out against China's heritage by their own hands, and they don't quite seem to get that reconstructing a building from the charred foundations up can't whitewash what happened, nor can it hold the same magic. One day we can only hope that the numptys who are now members of ISIS, will come to regret smashing up those incredible historical artifacts

"One day we can only hope that the numptys who are now members of ISIS, will come to regret smashing up those incredible historical artifacts"

The fact that some people actually believe that drivel is a big part of the problem. These cretins have amply demonstrated their undying brutality and worship of death and destruction, and utter abandonment of any shred of humanity. They couldn't possibly be more convincing. To even suggest that they'll somehow come to see the light of truth, happiness, and brotherly love someday is just absurd. 'Not gonna' happen. Only two possible outcomes. Kill them or be killed by them. They represent the very epitome of violence & hate - so much so that to think that their eradication can come without the collateral deaths of innocents is unrealistic and dooms any effort to do so to failure. Sad but true. 'Not sure exactly how to go about it myself, but I AM sure that it can't be clean & "surgical", and this reality is what separates those who are thinking clearly about this from the bleeding hearts who, if courted, just ensure this goes on & worsens, dooming growing numbers to violent death and inevitably escalating the military confrontation in the ME.

[arjunadawn]

Remember, it's not about religion. Obama, Hollande, Merkel, and the Danish PM said so. Ignore your eyes and listen to your "leaders."

There is no better example in all creation of "cognitive dissonance" then what you cite above. You are spot on! Its truly 'civilization treason.'

[arjunadawn]

It is always easier to destroy than to create, and easier to hate than understand. As one poster misquoted many leaders, who actually said (paraphrased), "This is not about the Muslim faith, this is about extremists who have hijacked the Holy Q'uran and made it a document of lies."

There are Christian loons and Jewish loons too -- some people just like to get physical to prove their metaphysical beliefs (which is like pointing at the sea to refute the existence of deserts).

These animals are not human beings, and should be treated as such.

(You dont have to respond; this is rhetorical; I am not attacking you, FangFerang).

How has the koran been hijacked?

Why is it holy with a capital "H"?

In what manner are extremists identified with reference to the holy koran (in other words. where is the baseline from which extreme is measured)?

What actions taken by whom are contrary to the injunctions of the koran and hadith- "extremists?" "Jihadists?" "Islamists?" "Moderates?" (the only actions taken by muslims today that are contrary to they're scriptures are from those who we regard as silent and moderate; jihadist/islamists are actually orthodox muslims following scriptural injunctions and The Doctrine of the Perfect Man- al-Insan al-kamil)?

The exegesis from the koran was done over millennia and no additional document has been created; the chain of jurisprudence is remarkable, detailed, highly deliberated, and supports nearly all DAESH/IS does.

While there most certainly are loons of every persuasion and some with no theosophy at all, mentioning this point above, with regard to a conversation on the global existential threat of islam, only serves to either minimize the islamic jihad threat, the source, or suggest a shared complicity insofar as we all passed some rite of passage at one time or another; it is an utterly vacant analogy. This is the absurd approach Obama took equating the burning of a Jordanian Pilot with vague suspicions of christian excess a thousand years ago (even in the case conveniently leaving out the crusades were themselves a response to 400 years of islamic jihad in the First Great Jihad). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh7zaAfmH9A

Islam actually does not have a highly developed metaphysics in that the expounding upon communion with Al Lah is akin to blasphemy (the theology is quite highly developed). Islam is the quintessential dualist world- Al Lah is god and man is slave (this point of master/slave is not a negative for muslims nor in my commentary; its just a fact of reference); never the two shall meet, and never will there be communion or subsuming into Al Lah- the dualism is eternal (thus the persecution of mystical tendencies such as Sufi). I actually do see your point in the post but hope for those who are just reading these arguments to abuse the notion of some sort of shared complicity of religions= others do bad things too. Besides the matter of quality and quantitative differences, muslim jihad is one long train of conquest and murder and rampage and rape and savagery and barbarism and slavery and subordination and caste and submission. Indeed, Islam is Submission (not Peace).

So, seeing how vehemently I suggest the threat is indeed islamic, palpable, and very urgent why would I disagree with labeling [them] as "animals" and just being done with [them]? The need to demonize the enemy is a long established process of manipulating peoples to wage war. Demonize and make not human the enemy and watch what horrors man is capable of in battle. The thing is, we are beyond such manipulation needs as a more evolved people and in this case, demonizing jihadists as animals actually lessens their accountability. They are much, much more vile and accountable then the most savage animal ever. Were IS/DAESH to be announced and defined exactly as they profess and declare themselves this should suffice to rouse the people. Instead, both actions and declarations of islamists are first sterilized by western opinion leaders then hand fed to news media and what is produced is discordant; no one can successfully processes observed news facts every day with they're leaders declared positions; its oil and water. The West actually sterilizes and runs interference for radical islam. Cui Bono?

[Lissos]

To even suggest that they'll somehow come to see the light of truth, happiness, and brotherly love someday is just absurd. 'Not gonna' happen

I wasn't suggesting as such, only that they are extremely short sighted (yes, and not a surprise that they are) and that any future leaders in that area may well come to regret the foaming at the mouth mindless destruction of these items, just as the Chinese establishment today recognises that the widespread destruction of China's heirtage during the Cultural Revolution and of the Tibetan heritage during the Great Leap Forward, was an error. It has poured immense resources into reconstructing many of these things from the ground up, but as with a hammer that has only had three knew heads and three new handles, it ain't the same no matter how much they try to whitewash what happened. Right now, the brainwashed foot soldiers of ISIS on the march smashing up valuable antique treasures of the middle east (even of rival Islamic sects) are without a doubt beyond help for sure, as they resemble the swarms of Mao's foot soldiers ordered to trash traces of a supposedly shamefull past before the arrival of the little red book. More so I am referring to whatever this Islamic State becomes, if it ever 'becomes' a region with some semblance of stability.

After all, the political ideology of North Korea is as wacky as a bag of nuts but it is static, so it is possible for nutters to settle. Prior to the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, there was known opposition from some Taliban commanders about the order to eradicate the monuments, because these few dissenting voices probably had some sense of realism and practicality that any such state could not totally isolate itself from the world. Countless antiquities exist in the Muslim world, not because they particularly approve of them, but they realise the value, even if for tourism alone.

Practically, the sheer logistics of eradicating vast monuments in places like Egypt prior to widespread explosives and power tools may partly explain why so much of the 'idolatory' exists and elsewhere in the region today after many centuries of Islamic rule, prior to the Secular Arab Republics. Other reasons probably exist too, including that luckily for us, not every Muslim is a foaming at the mouth force of destruction. It may seem improbable, but these things have survived to a surprising degree when there was plenty of time to eradicate it all during more fundamental eras.

I underline that yes the people carrying out this destruction now won't have the slightest remorse because they are brainwashed.

It is with time that the after effects of the fervour of the moment starts to come home to roost.

[Steely Dan]

Similar to the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French troops during the Second Opium War.

Picture a scenario where hired thugs set fire to a centuries old manor house somewhere in England because of a business fued.

Centuries old artifacts are damaged in the fire, but the core drive was not about eradicating heritage. It was a fued.

Burning and looting of the Old Summer Palace was a grim tragedy, but it was a pure revenge move, not ideological as such.

90 years or so later, the Chinese themselves virtually eradicated the majority of their own imperial heritage, along with Tibet's.

Islamists destroying priceless ancient statues to pieces on camera because they declare them to be dangerous polytheistic 'idolatory from humanity's 'unenlightened' past which now must be snuffed out,' is closer to that foaming the mouth drive behind China's massive destruction of its own history before the era of Mao than the drive of European army's burning and looting of the Old Summer Palace. Just as with the ideological fanaticism which led to swarms of Chinese rushing into temples and monastery's to loot, burn and humiliate, the ideological fanaticism of Islamists is thick as two short planks. China has come to regret the actions that were carried out against China's heritage by their own hands, and they don't quite seem to get that reconstructing a building from the charred foundations up can't whitewash what happened, nor can it hold the same magic. One day we can only hope that the numptys who are now members of ISIS, will come to regret smashing up those incredible historical artifacts

ISIS are just the latest manifestation of Islamic Puritanism. During a previous outbreak Egyptian Salafists tried to destroy the Sphinx, but on realizing the enormity of the task the Islamopithicenes settled for knocking the nose off a 4000 year old monument to an infinitely more advanced civilization.

[hawker9000]

To even suggest that they'll somehow come to see the light of truth, happiness, and brotherly love someday is just absurd. 'Not gonna' happen

I wasn't suggesting as such, only that they are extremely short sighted (yes, and not a surprise that they are) and that any future leaders in that area may well come to regret the foaming at the mouth mindless destruction of these items, just as the Chinese establishment today recognises that the widespread destruction of China's heirtage during the Cultural Revolution and of the Tibetan heritage during the Great Leap Forward, was an error. It has poured immense resources into reconstructing many of these things from the ground up, but as with a hammer that has only had three knew heads and three new handles, it ain't the same no matter how much they try to whitewash what happened. Right now, the brainwashed foot soldiers of ISIS on the march smashing up valuable antique treasures of the middle east (even of rival Islamic sects) are without a doubt beyond help for sure, as they resemble the swarms of Mao's foot soldiers ordered to trash traces of a supposedly shamefull past before the arrival of the little red book. More so I am referring to whatever this Islamic State becomes, if it ever 'becomes' a region with some semblance of stability.

After all, the political ideology of North Korea is as wacky as a bag of nuts but it is static, so it is possible for nutters to settle. Prior to the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, there was known opposition from some Taliban commanders about the order to eradicate the monuments, because these few dissenting voices probably had some sense of realism and practicality that any such state could not totally isolate itself from the world. Countless antiquities exist in the Muslim world, not because they particularly approve of them, but they realise the value, even if for tourism alone.

Practically, the sheer logistics of eradicating vast monuments in places like Egypt prior to widespread explosives and power tools may partly explain why so much of the 'idolatory' exists and elsewhere in the region today after many centuries of Islamic rule, prior to the Secular Arab Republics. Other reasons probably exist too, including that luckily for us, not every Muslim is a foaming at the mouth force of destruction. It may seem improbable, but these things have survived to a surprising degree when there was plenty of time to eradicate it all during more fundamental eras.

I underline that yes the people carrying out this destruction now won't have the slightest remorse because they are brainwashed.

It is with time that the after effects of the fervour of the moment starts to come home to roost.

No meaningful quantum of "time" is going to resolve this. It's not a "current generation" thing. Their progeny will surely carry on the sick tradition unless something happens to put an end to it. And the only thing that will put an end to it is their eradication (or ours...). Pick.