UNESCO calls destruction of Syrian temple a war crime

Paris, Aug 24 (EFE).- The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, condemned on Monday the destruction of Baal temple, among the ruins in the Syrian city of Palmyra, by Islamic State, hoping that those responsible are brought to justice for this “war crime.”

“The systematic destruction of cultural symbols embodying Syrian cultural diversity reveals the true intent of such attacks, which is to deprive the Syrian people of its knowledge, its identity and history,” the director general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, said in a statement.

“One week after the killing of Professor Khaled al-Asaad, the archaeologist who had looked after Palmyra’s ruins for four decades, this destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity,” Bokova added.

Palmyra houses unique relics from the first century B.C. and is a masterpiece of architecture and Roman urbanism, such as the columns lining the main street and the temple of Baal.

IS, according to Bokova, “is killing people and destroying sites, but cannot silence history and will ultimately fail to erase this great culture from the memory of the world.”

“Despite the obstacles and fanaticism, human creativity will prevail, buildings and sites will be rehabilitated, and some will be rebuilt,” the UNESCO official concluded, calling on the international community to stand united “against this persistent cultural cleansing.” EFE

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Category: Daily Witness, National