Erased: IS and the destruction of ancient artifacts

The Islamic State group released a five-minute video Thursday in which militants in Iraq are seen destroying ancient artefacts that included idols, which are prohibited by the Muslim faith. Experts said the items destroyed include original pieces, reconstructed fragments and copies. They include many pieces from the Assyrian and Parthian eras dating back several centuries before Christ. Iraq’s Assyrians are now a Christian minority, and many of their villages were seized by IS fighters in neighbouring Syria and at least 220 Assyrians kidnapped in the process as the militant group strives to reform the region into a single, homogenous caliphate.

This destruction marks a new phase in the cultural cleansing perpetrated in regions controlled by armed extremists in Iraq. It adds to the systematic destruction of heritage and the persecution of minorities that seeks to wipe out the cultural diversity that is the soul of the Iraqi people.

Irina Bokova, director-general of the UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

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