Thursday, May 14, 2015

Save Palmyra!

For a historian the progress by the barbarians from the so-called Islamic State has been a nightmare. Destructions of museums and ancient sites have succeeded each other.

The Middle East is the cradle of civilization as such and it has taken part in or been in direct contact with several civilizations, the Mesopotamian, the Old Egyptian, the Greco-Roman and the Oriental-Arab with famous peoples from Sumerians over Acadians, Hittites, Assyrians, Israelites, Persians to Arabs, just to mention some.

That IS destroys the beautiful achievements from all these past cultures clearly shows their barbaric nature. They are beyond and outside all civilized peoples. They attack and destroy the history of all mankind, our common heritage.

Now they are approaching the ruins of the city of Palmyra. A large UNESCO site with many impressive monuments. One of the most famous cities in antiquity. A melting pot where Western and Eastern cultures met with a flourishing result.

We can not let the hordes reach and destroy this city! Kobane was saved. Should we use military effort to save a dead city? Yes we should. IS must not be allowed to destroy further parts of our past, our history, our foundation.