The Islamic State has continued its campaign of religious fascism in murdering thousands and “cleansing” areas for its view of the true Islamic faith. This process appears to include the burning of books in cities like Mosul, which once held a treasure trove of ancient texts including works dating back to 5000 BC. Some 2,000 books that range from children’s stories to poetry to historical texts were burned in front of residents who were told that such texts “promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned.”
It is all a part of the purification of areas, including the destruction of Sunni and Christian places of worship and libraries. A University of Mosul history professor said that IS has been systematic in targeting libraries, including a large Sunni Muslim library, the library of the 265-year-old Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers and the Mosul Museum Library. It appears that IS may be selling some of the books on the black market, however. The only thing more motivating for the Islamic State than a good cleansing is cold hard cash. Yet, Islamic State is believed to have been successful in its efforts to burn maps and books from the Ottoman Empire and book collections involving works that are centuries old.
As discussed earlier, the Islamic State has already destroyed ancient shrines including those of Seth, Jirjis and Jonah. Their destruction reminds many of the damage from the Mongols who threw ancient books into the Tigris River.
It is particularly telling that, like so many fascists and terrorists before them, Islamic State views education and books to be some of their greatest enemies. It is a movement that thrives on ignorance and feeding their followers with an exclusive mix of extreme Islamic teachings and pure unadulterated hate. They are now preparing to defend Mosul from an expected attack of coalition forces — a battle that could destroy what remains of the city and costs thousands of additional lives.
As an educator, I can only image the pain of faculty at the University of Mosul in watching the very foundation for learning in the ancient city destroyed by these violent and ignorant men. Academics universally believe that the nature progression of humanity is toward knowledge. Islamic State and its predecessors can only slow that progression. However, the loss of these ancient works is a terrible price to pay since they constitute the very foundational works of Islamic education and development.
Reblogged this on A Conservative Christian Man.
Reblogged this on A Conservative Christian Man.
Nick… YES, I would … same with Syria…
Though, we did not go in and attack these countries…
the PEOPLE spoke and we helped the people….
We need to STOP removing the SECULAR Leaders…
Yes, Iraq had the Red Room….
and NOW, that iREGION is now a RED ROOM….
I fully believe that Obama is dead wrong on Syria….
Assad is horrible… BUT, we have seen the kinds of people who end up replacing
these secular dictators.. and it is NOT GOOD…
Eric
Iraq was a country with a Sunni minority ruling a Shia majority, next to another, Iran, where their majority was allied religiously with Iraq’s majority. Iran 95% Shia. Iraq 65% Shia, 35% Sunni.
There is no comparison between Europe after WW2 and the Middle East. European countries were less directed by ancient religious feuds and more through geo political alliances and divisions. Much of Europe came about as a result of WW1 and before that loose amalgamations such as the Austo-Hungarian Empire, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, USSR, etc and has been reverting to original ethnic groupings: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, etc. Centuries of amalgamation and dispersal left people in forced relationships. The Walloons and the Dutch are a perfect example of a perhaps long overdue separation. The mindlessness of religion as is more than apparent has played little if any part in the reconfiguring of Europe. Europe is simply more evolved, has been there, and done that. Centuries ago Europe resembled the Middle East today.
Firstly, it was not necessary to invade Iraq, even with the Bush administration’s desire to oust Saddam, with or without other opinions and desires by other members of the UN. Saddam got in via a coup and could have easily and with less death and destruction been ousted the same way. This is a feat accomplished many times before by the US and other colonial powers. The north and south no fly zones could have been extended to cover the whole country. The US military could have easily targeted government and military installations, harassing those in power as well as those directly beneath Saddam and his two sons. With an explicit overture of ‘this will go on until he gets the boot’, it would not have taken long for Saddam to leave through the same door he entered. This business of weapons of mass destruction is highly dubious at the least.
The chaos in the area was a result of the restructuring of the religious representation in Iraq and the invitation this gave Iran to meddle.
Secondly, even if it was unnecessary and not a good idea, it was bungled beyond repair for any occupying force. This was evident. Sadr and Sadr city took the six to eight months the US languished to become a force too strong to be ignored and in fact eliminated. The surge quelled rampant groups of thugs through an unsustainable build up of military force. As soon as the surge subsided, the thugs came back. The indirect cause of the mess there was the invasion itself. The direct cause now is the foothold the insurgents got on the area due to the eight month void created by Washington doing what it was not equipped to do. Obama responded to the will of the people. If he had allowed the occupation to continue and/or increased troops there, he would have been going against public opinion as he was going against the will of the Iraqi people. The repositioning of political power from Sunni to Shia in Iraq was and is inevitable and brings with it the associated turmoil. The US allowed and indeed encouraged Iraq to form a government and that government desired, in fact told the US to leave. The other mistake made by the Bush administration that compounded if not equalled the blunder of the eight month pause was when Brenner disbanded the army and turned a half million unpaid and armed young men loose on the country. In hindsight there is little beyond the original invasion to be proud of. One could not have done worse even if one had planned it this way.
Leading up to the invasion of Iraq, there was a steady stream of opinions expressed through the media. The first of these opinions came from experienced military and political figures with histories of Vietnam and other failures as well as successes. They all ranged from don’t do it to if you’re going to do it, go in with at least 450 thousand troops, begin a rebuilding of the infrastructure destroyed immediately, address the social institutions and the people, leave the Iraqi military intact with US oversight, etc-all the stuff that is not attributed to hindsight. Over the week or so devoted to everyone voicing their opinion the participants started changing from experienced and wise to young, disassociated, and lackeys of the Bush administrations. If you were to place them side by side the first with the last, it would be a skit for SNL. The last opinions expressed to the people of the US were crafted by the Bush Administration to sugar coat the operation with jingoes such as ‘shock and awe’.
If ever there was a manipulation of a people by a government this was it. Unfortunately time obscures and sometimes erases enough that Vietnam was repeated.
“…like so many fascists and terrorists before them, Islamic State views education and books to be some of their greatest enemies.”
This is almost any power structure that wishes to preserve its existence. Just because you slap some scary label on it doesn’t change the fact that most states structure their education systems to maintain said State.
Where are you a law professor again????????????
jonathanturley: “They are now preparing to defend Mosul from an expected attack of coalition forces – a battle that could destroy what remains of the city and costs thousands of additional lives.”
Has the Matt Harding option to counter ISIS been tried yet?
http://jonathanturley.org/2014/12/27/an-answer-to-isis/
justagurlinseattle,
Actually, the museums were recovered. I suggest reading “Thieves of Baghdad” by US Marine Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, who worked with museum officials on the recovery.
Gary T,
Iraq, 2002 (UN Commission on Human Rights):
Iraq, 2011 (President Obama):
President Bush was right to enforce the Gulf War ceasefire and then stay in Iraq to secure the peace the same way the US stayed to secure the peace in Europe and Asia after World War 2. When Bush left office, the Iraq mission was a success.
President Obama was wrong to leave Iraq prematurely. America’s protection was needed for the continued progression of Iraq’s pluralistic liberal reform and constructive role in the Middle East and the welfare of the Iraqi people. Instead, the feared danger of Obama’s feckless ‘lead from behind’ approach to the Arab Spring and irresponsible exit from Iraq is being realized.
See explanation of the law and policy, fact basis for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
BDS. Explain Libya.
justagurlinseattle
Are they burning Carroll in effigy?
Most Americans now understand, even if they are loath to admit it, that invading Iraq was not only unnecessary but bungled totally in the first six to eight months. Washington directed the war, had no exit strategy, no follow up/through strategy, and seemed to believe that ‘shock and awe’ was all that was necessary to quell any feelings of independence by the disparate peoples of the area.
After the country was invaded, troops established check points away from the ‘machinery’ of the cities and failed to protect the hospitals and museums. It seems that the biggest splash in Western newspapers was the desecration of the museums. However, hospitals and other social institutions were looted by roving gangs of thugs with no religious affiliation. Those in charge of the invasion sat by for almost eight months while the urban areas were ransacked by looters and thugs. During this time Sunnis performed raids on Shias and vice versa. After six to eight months of this Imams pulled their religious groups together and fortified areas to protect their people and create a power base from which to send out their mini armies of so called ‘defenders of the faith’. This was the birth of Sadr city and the insurgents on both sides of the religious divide. This should have been expected. When you create chaos, you create a void. Into that void will come, either ‘strongmen’ to police and protect their own as happened in Iraq or simple blatant thug opportunists as is seen in Syria and Iraq.
Yes, perhaps the US should not have attacked Iraq in the first place. Perhaps this is why Obama is so reluctant to pour gasoline on this fire. He has accomplished a few things. The thugs have retreated from Kobani leaving a stronger Kurdish people. The Kurds are the seed of tolerance that has to be cultured. Out of the chaos and destruction of Syria and Iraq should come a proper homeland for the Kurds running along the bottom of Turkey from the North of Iraq, through Northern Syria to the Med. This would provide a buffer between secular Turkey and fanatical Syria and Iraq. Now their would be a geo political accomplishment.
Karen:
Iraq was a mess before we got there, this is true.
But, that mess was constrained to the depravities of the few in power upon the few that they targeted. It was a mess to the extent that any set of people oppress any other set of people.
After we were through with Iraq, the whole state descended into Entropy, with wholesale discriminate and indiscriminate chaos, mayhem, destruction, plunder, torture, maimings, imprisonment, and death.
It is no longer constrained to a few sadists with power. The mess is now ubiquitous and everywhere.
So, yes the atrocities that Hussein and Sons exacted were horrible, but like the cardinalities of Infinities, some things are even more horrible than simple horrible.
IS is burning books and killing people by the thousands. Meanwhile, in Chicago, the American Library Association is holding its annual midwinter meeting where the big concern is that Israel is defending itself from terrorism and building houses: “Antisemitism at ALA Midwinter” http://safelibraries.blogspot.com/2015/01/antisemitism-at-ala-midwinter.html
“Them that begin by burning books, end by burning men.”
If the keepers and protectors of those ancient works, didn’t see ISIS coming, and do something special to protect these works, I don’t know . . Darwin Award maybe?
JAG, Would you apply that “Saddam wasn’t that bad” philosophy to Gaddafi and Libya. Because Obama was instrumental in removing him. That country is now anarchy. What about Egypt? Obama let Mubarak be overthrown and that country is chaotic. The Mideast is a cesspool of poverty, ignorance, and violence. Jag, I have said her previously, ask anyone who lived under Saddam if it “wasn’t that bad.” I have many Iraqi Christians here in San Diego who would convince you otherwise. This Islamic culture worships power and strength. ISIS displays that ruthlessly. It’s time for us to arm the Kurds and let them go to work. They are fighting mofo’s, having to fight for centuries just to exist.
justagurl – Iraq was already broken before we got there. Don’t forget the Red Room, where prisoners were tortured with butchering tools. It’s been a mess over there.
I was heartbroken, too, about the Iraqi museums. Looters are always a problem.
Why were any historically precious artifacts left in the area? This is what they do. We need to save any remaining treasures that can be moved. They can be studied at museums until the day that extremism is kicked out of the Middle East and they can return home.
This is ironic, because the Middle East used to be one of the cradles of science and learning.
This is heartbreaking… 🙁
I cried for weeks after the USA first attacked Iraq, and the Museums
were looted…. ALL that history, GONE…
Things like this are so upsetting….
and yes, clearly, they hate education. ISIL needs to keep the
population as ignorant as possible so they will not one day
read the Koran on their own and realize that ISIL LIED to them… and that these monsters
have twisted Islam into a political organization of death, terror and destruction…and that the men of ISIL and so small, that they need to keep
women oppressed in order for the men to feel powerful….
It is disgusting…..
Perhaps the USA should not have attacked Iraq in the first place….
Sometimes when you break something, you CAN’T fix it….
Reblogged this on Oyia Brown.
Reblogged this on pundit from another planet.
Islamic jihadists terrorists are defining Islam. It is not fair to the mainstream Muslims. But, that is the reality. That’s the way it works.