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.
I. Annie
If you notice, I made no specific reference to anyone, in particular. I just fail to see how a discussion regarding the topic of patriarchy is in any way, shape or form even remotely connected to an article about a man being murdered for trying to spare art work from destruction. Yes, I get that these threads often tend to take on a life of their own, so to speak, with various ideas and subjects being tossed into the mix. I do get that. That’s part of the beauty of these threads. No criticism of that. What I don’t get, however, is the effort to completely and totally ignore the very specific facts and concerns contained in the article at hand to, instead, get on a soapbox and preach about completely unrelated topics. If that applies to you, so be it. You seem to have self-identified.
bam bam – having taught Interpersonal Communications on the college level, I can tell you (as I told my students) that any extended conversation is going end on an entirely different subject. Topic ebb and flow, some lend themselves to more discussion than others. And something someone says will remind someone of something else which will take the conversation in a new direction.
Or DBQ’s “meanderings” either? Oh my.
BamBam, tell me how Pogo has contributed to the topic of this thread?
Chief Consort to the Progressive Grand Inquisitor
1, August 20, 2015 at 8:51 am
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!
Chief Consort to the Progressive Grand Inquisitor
1, August 20, 2015 at 11:54 am
“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.
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When you neglect to identify the meanderings of those on ‘your side’, you appear hypocritical. So, did you include Pogo’s comments in your 1:38 comment? I’m off to run errands. Stay on topic for pity sake!
This poor man lost his life, needlessly and in the most brutal of ways, simply because of his determination to defend and protect historical artifacts.
You are correct, Nick. I understand that these threads ebb and flow through various topics, but totally ignoring the subject at hand is unfortunate. No true discussion with regard to the article by JT.
Seems to me Obama can’t even remember the recent history of the Carter administration, Do you progressives still like the Iranian deal. Seems to me your a bunch of regressives
It was not I who brought up the patriarchy. The thread was “hijacked” @11:54AM. As far as im concerned, I’ve made my point about the ‘glorious’ Patriarchy. No need to continue.
Chief Consort to the Progressive Grand Inquisitor
1, August 20, 2015 at 11:54 am
“You mean like patriarchy, the Western literary canon, dichotomous gender, religion, and freedom of speech?”
Thread has been hijacked. This could be a much better blog. C’est la vie.
http://youtu.be/maFUXy7U2Nc
Dick Cheney’s “so?” Reminds me of your “so”, DBQ.
DBQ,
YOU FIRST. Instead of romanticizing the Patriarchy, go visit the Mideast and see just how much you like it the Patriarchy there.
So? Do something about it then.
As far as modern day subjugation of women, in mysogynistic autocratic Theocracies in the Mideast, we see the Patriarchy in action.
http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/wes/collections/women_law/
For those who desire to romanticize the Patriarchy, maybe you need to educate yourselves.
“Women were once considered chattel, and slavery was regarded as sanctioned in the Bible. However, western society grew to recognize that neither was just.”
Jeanne Phillips
JT, you make reference to the MANY MUSLIMS who continue to put their very lives at risk to protect their history and art. Really? There are MANY, you say? Other than this poor, unfortunate guy, who was, unfortunately, brutally murdered by the throwback, degenerate proponents hailing from the so-called Religion of Peace, where are the MANY MUSLIMS, of which you speak, who are putting their lives at risk to stop this insanity? Is there a public outcry from the Muslim world which has gone unnoticed? That could happen, I suppose. Perhaps I missed the massive protests, in what everyone touts as the Muslim Streets, where there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of Death to America and Death to Israel marches? Where are our buddies from CAIR? Too busy filing lawsuits against all of those perceived to be violating the rights of Muslims, where the organization is only trying to make sure that Muslims have greater, not equal, rights?
Why not just admit that the Muslim world, for the most part, has remained silent in the face of this travesty? No need to project what you WISH would be–that MANY MUSLIMS are risking their lives in this effort. Wishful thinking; however, by all accounts, unfounded.
I suppose that po’s handlers will now rouse him from his sleep in the basement, ordering him to now respond with a litany of attacks. Here it comes, folks.
If women weren’t subjugated in that era, we would’ve seen masterpieces from them too.
IF IF IF. Maybe….Who knows. Perhaps a patriarchal society allowed MEN to be able to focus on the art, architecture, science, manufacturing while women held other roles in society that supported the men’s abilities. Perhaps society is a team effort where people, men, women, children all have their supporting roles to play and create something together. However, we know what IS not what IF.
Patriarchy is a social system in which males hold primary power, predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children. Many patriarchal societies are also patrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the male lineage.
OR…maybe not. You don’t know. Maybe women were not interested in those things….especially in a low tech society where their abilities were limited by biological constraints and a distinct lack of technological aids and healthier living conditions, medical advancements such as birth control and not routinely dying in childbirth…….that we have now that can somewhat level the playing field (so to speak)
Looking at history through the lens of current society is a mistake. What we have now as women is nothing like what was available to women in the past or even in other current cultures. If people are concerned about the “subjugation” of women, I would recommend that you look to the present instead of harping on the past. There are plenty of subjugated women that can be helped TODAY. Start with the ISIS slaves and move on down to Africa and deal with genital mutilation.
There have been some Matriarchal or Matrilineal societies as well throughout history. (those are not the same thing though as in the patrilineal vs patriarchal definitions).
http://history-world.org/Civilization,%20women_in_patriarchal_societies.htm
Here’s a history lesson regarding the Patriarchy. Not so noble, nor grand….for women. No we most certainly should not forget, so as not to repeat.
What we need is an international group of Monuments Men to track down the missing pieces that were sold. If they were sold, someone bought them. That is illegal. All of that stuff has been photographed and catalogued so it will be easy to see what is missing. Then the hunt begins.
Who is suggesting we throw out the history of the Patriarchy?? No we most certainly should not forget it, but that doesn’t mean it was good and noble. It was wholesale abuse of women. No one is suggesting we erase it from the history books, but it is best left as history as we progress socially. Do modern women truly want to go back to the patriarical era? Really? If women weren’t subjugated in that era, we would’ve seen masterpieces from them too.
issac
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.
Seems quite similar to linking Americans to the Taliban, which according to the left is perfectly legitimate.
If someone wants to compare the patriarchy with the artistic masterpieces and antiquities,
The culture that created such masterpieces was riddled with patriarchal thoughts and laws. You can’t throw out one part of history because you currently don’t approve of one part anymore than you can separate the artist from his/her art.
History IS what it is and if you try to pick and choose, you lose the entire perspective of historical events and even the creation of “masterpieces”. They are a conjoined and commingled whole from which WE have arisen and from which we must learn.