ISIS has continued its blood soaked campaign to impose its view of pure Islam on the world and to destroy all evidence of art and civilization in its path. The destruction of ancient works and structures has appalled the world. The Islamic extremists have now murdered one of the world’s leading experts on the history and art of the region — 82-year-old archaeologist Khaled Asaad. By all accounts, Asaad refused to tell ISIS where art was hidden. ISIS has been destroying large works while selling smaller works on the black market. Images show ISIS supporters laughing and rejoicing as their ancient history and art is destroyed with sledgehammers as the professed will of Allah. The standoff between Asaad and these murderers put the conflict between civilization and these Islamic extremists into the sharpest relief. It also shows who many Muslims continue to put their very lives at risk to protect their history and art. Indeed, they are protecting the art and history of the very nadir of civilization.
ISIS beheaded Asaad and then hanged his body from a column in the town’s main square. He had been interrogated by Islamic State for over a month on the location of the antiquities after they seized Palmyra.
Asaad spent over 50 years working at the UNESCO World Heritage site with experts from around the world. He was renown for his knowledge and passion for archeology. His books include “The Palmyra Sculptures” and “Zenobia, the Queen of Palmyra and the Orient.” He was one of the greatest experts in the world on Syrian archeology and personally discovered several ancient cemeteries, caves and the Byzantine cemetery in the garden of the Museum of Palmyra.
Few academics or intellectuals are ever called to put their very lives at risk for the preservation of knowledge and art and history. Those like Asaad are on the frontline in a war between science and ignorance; between civilization and barbarism; between free thought and religious orthodoxy.
His headless body hanged from a pillar as another indelible image to the world by ISIS of its intent to destroy the very existence of civilization in its twisted view of Islam. For academics around the world, Asaad will remain an image of a different kind: a man of conviction and courage who died in the effort to preserve his nation’s history and very identity from those who would erase it. He died as he lived in showing that civilization transcends the lives of any given generation. This educated and enlightened man died at the hands of religious extremism and ignorance. In doing so, he left the world with a challenge to meet this ISIS threat united and unafraid and unbent.
Those who forget their own history, or worse attempt to erase history altogether are doomed to repeat it and drag the rest of us along for the ugly ride. History, whether you like it or not, is something that we need to know and study. Erasing the bad parts viewed through the lens of today’s morality is foolish. Yes…..even the mindset of patriarchy is worth knowing and studying.
http://jenniferlshelton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/history-doomed-to-repeat.jpg
If someone wants to compare the patriarchy with the artistic masterpieces and antiquities, they really don’t have a clue. Some people seem to have a problem discerning trash from treasure.
Pogo, the patriarchy was a treasure? You’re unfunny.
Hildegard-
We have no way of knowing if what we read or hear is accurate. But at least today we have the option of checking many diverse sources before adopting an assertion as probably accurate or not.
I heard a young person say that they trust immediate and spontaneous Twitter reports far more than they trust heavily vetted official reports on anything.
“Why would anyone assume that Progressives would reject the treasures of the past?”
You mean like patriarchy, the Western literary canon, dichotomous gender, religion, and freedom of speech?
ha ha ha. You’re hilarious sometimes.
I doubt very much this actually happened.
FAKE Courtrooms for FAKE Trials – Our Shocking Reality Today
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f6c_1438569733
Olly
After reading your post I doubt that you are capable of curiosity. You come across as a cement block, simply there, in the ground, with no concept of past, present, or future.
I’ve stated at every opportunity that these are not Islamists but mere thugs usurping a local religion and perverting it as an introduction to legitimize their thuggery. This was done with Christianity up until a few hundred years ago.
That you link these thugs to progressives, or liberals, or socialists, or communists, or whatever other nom du jour you are using, reflects more upon your helplessness in both having any effect on this thuggery or on life here at home.
Regarding history and its trappings, including the sacred texts of this country, some of it is universal and stands for all for all time and then some of it is simply history not to be forgotten lest it be repeated.
Why would anyone assume that Progressives would reject the treasures of the past? It’s the bad ideas of the past that one aspires to leave behind and progress beyond, IMO.
I’m curious to know if Isaac and other progressives would also dismiss these ancient and sacred works as unimportant artifacts of another time. After all, haven’t we ‘progressed’ to the point where we’ve no need to preserve that history? It would be reasonable to conclude if Isaac believes America’s 200+ year old founding documents (and history) are irrelevant today, then surely he wouldn’t begrudge ISIS’ dismantling of Syria’s ancient history, would he?
The crusades were a reaction to an Islamic invasion
WWDD? What would Donald Do?
How long has this kind of stuff been going on and it has only gotten worse?
The goal should be the eradication/extinguishing of ISIS behaviors. Behavioral reinforcement is not the appropriate response here. Punitive is needed. The civilized world needs to give the Muslim dominated Middle Eastern governments an ultimatum with a short and certain time line to eradicate ISIS. If ISIS and their enablers choose not to conform to a civilized and peaceful world, then take away the instruments of the civilized world such as internet, TV, radio, telephones, electric power, machinery, vehicles, refrigeration, air conditioning, running water, etc. At that point, Bruce’s idea of “boots on the ground” and, I suggest, in the air, is appropriate.
That’s my two cents.
Faux paw: I did not mean to suggest that Turkey is next to Africa. Places like Nigeria, Somalia etc are pirate territories. All of the middle east except perhaps Egypt and Israel are pirate territories. Turkey itself has some pirate territory. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and others need to be seized and divided up into controlled areas.
This statement was made on another blog about this topic: “Which European dogs have the balls to put boots on the ground?”
Why would any human phrase this issue in this manner? I suppose that the author of the statement is looking down on the Europeans as lame. But to call them “dogs”, as if dog is a derogatory term? And secondly, it does not just take a male actor to put their boots on the ground. So, the implication of “balls” is a bit odd.
But getting to the heart of the ISIS problem. All Republicon candidates are taking us to war with ISIS. The Dems have been less vocal. ISIS is not a nation state, as it does not have controlled territory be it pirate territory or other and does not have a government or a guy in a zuit suit who went to Oxford and sits in the UN. Thus, America does not need a Declaration of War to go after ISIS. No, ISIS is the same as a pirate group and another part of the Constitution allows us to go after them and make them walk the plank.
The BarkinDog Doctrine holds that there is a great swath of territory in the world particularly in Africa and the middle east all the way to the Russian and China borders. Syria is no longer a nation state. We have the right under the piracy clause to go after pirates and terrorists. A pirate and a terrorist are basically one and the same. Pirates do their mean deeds for the fun, glory and profit. Terrorists do it for glory, profit and fun and games. Pirates would not go out of their way to destroy an art relic. A terrorist will go way out of their way to find them, destroy them and hold up the burned object on television to smite you. The terrorists are saying: Come and get me!
These pirate territories in Africa and especially on the Turkey border are part of the zone of interest of Europe. Turkey is a NATO member for Chris sake. Sorry, Mohammed’s sake.
Solution: Invade, divide up the pirate territories into colonies in which only Shiites live in one territory of Iran, only Sunnis in another part of old Iran, and a new territory with privilege to move up to nation state called Kurdistan. Take part of Turkey for Kurdistan. This means we might need to get a declaration of war against Turkey unless they agree to give up some of their Kurd portion. Round up the terrorists and pirates. Kill many. Install dictators beholden to the coalition of the European states and America. Govern the pirate territories with force. Quash any rebellions. Deny from the outset any notion of self governance or democracy. Make them take classes in things like table manners and whatnot and in fifty years re-evaluate.
In America we must make each person running for President to take a position on the BarkinDog Doctrine. If some schmuck talks about “making the World safe for democracy” then vote against them. Woodrow Wilson got us into the policing the world thing and the lame part of it was the notion that most of those schmucks east of corfu are capable of democracy. Hell Europe is not even up to snuff on democracy.
Or since the dead guy was fulfilling the blue culturally approved role of maintaining the governmental monopoly on valuables do we not have to make excuses for his murderers?
Isn’t there some important point to be made about the Crusades?
I’m just concerned what happens when the “jayvee” step aside and the varsity take control.
You don’t have the right to complain unless your willing to put boots on the ground
Again, let’s at least linguistically support moderates by labeling these violent morons the UnIslamic State.
Imaginary deities lead only to censorship and tyranny.
Where is the Universal outrage?
Thankfully, the US, France, England, and the rest of the EU do not restrict immigration from those countries where these clearly non-Islamic Islamists arise.
Welcome, friends!