ISIL Destroying Islamic Sites

[Zakuvia]

I walk into this part of my views on things like a clown wearing his Sunday best through a minefield. I do not support vandalism/pillaging/looting/wanton destruction of culture. Please let this fact be unerringly known.

!BUT!

After ISIS is reduced to its particulate matter by guided missiles, might this brazen and public ruination of culture spark a resurgence in interest in proto-Islamic culture, or at the very least, a revival of cultural artifact creation? As in sculpted art, beautiful mosques, etc?

I've always held this bizarre view that, though I love going to museums, I can't help but feel that they somehow get in the way of progressive art and culture. But again, I would never in my life take an axe to the Mona Lisa or do anything like what's going on in modern Assyria. I'm just trying to find some kind of silver lining.

[Digital Planets]

Overwhelming military force is necessary to protect archaeological sites, no major military powers are going to do so because the cost of a massive air and ground campaign is deemed to be more than the ancient artifacts are actually worth in monetary value. The stuff that can be moved can be loaded onto C-17s and flown away from the area of conflict if complete air superiority is maintained and enough ground is physically held to put enemy ground units out of range of threatening any air assets.

I've spent the best part of the last two years working on UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Middle East, and I regret to say that the non-existent military arsenal I keep in my basement storage area isn't really up to the task.

Then you've gotta fix that.

[Romalae]

It makes me extremely unhappy that historical monuments like this are destroyed and we hardly ever hear about it on the news.

Well, it depends what news you're talking about. It's the front page of BBC News right now.

[United Marxist Nations]

One of the strange things about ISIS is that, unlike most groups responsible for destroying historical sites, they do so both ideologically and indiscriminately; they have said they would destroy even the Kabbah if they reached it (IIRC, their sect holds that religious sites are idolatry). Most groups responsible for the destruction of sites either do so because they are of another religion, or because they tried to use it as protection (e.g. Saddam's forces were stationed on Basra's library during the 2003 war).

[Aethrys]

I've previously argued that we should consider them to be the Campaign for United Northern Territories of Syria.

You can work out the acronym for yourself.

Arch, I imagine the international archaeology community has brainstormed ways to protect these sites but that there's not much that you can, directly do, right? :/

One could always form a crack team of historians, archaeologists, curators and the like along with paramilitary operators to secure, and if necessary wrest control of these sites from the dirtbags squatting in them, then evaluate them for preservation.

[L Ron Cupboard]

Hopefully they will be incompetent in their destruction.

[The Blaatschapen]

I, for one, welcome this destruction.

For too long, archaeologists across the world have had cool jobs (and hats). Not like the rest of us with booooring jobs. This is not fair. By destroying all archaeologistic sites and stuff in the world, the complete and utter unemployment of all archaeologists in the world will be ensured. This will bring them into the fold with the rest of the working population, when they also have to apply for booooring jobs.

Next step: Destroying their hats.

[Digital Planets]

I, for one, welcome this destruction.

For too long, archaeologists across the world have had cool jobs (and hats). Not like the rest of us with booooring jobs. This is not fair. By destroying all archaeologistic sites and stuff in the world, the complete and utter unemployment of all archaeologists in the world will be ensured. This will bring them into the fold with the rest of the working population, when they also have to apply for booooring jobs.

Next step: Destroying their hats.

I second the next step.

Next step: Kill the Freeman.

[The Blaatschapen]

I've always held this bizarre view that, though I love going to museums, I can't help but feel that they somehow get in the way of progressive art and culture.

Are you saying, that because we have museums, we're now stuck with Justin Bieber?

[Baltenstein]

I, for one, welcome this destruction.

For too long, archaeologists across the world have had cool jobs (and hats). Not like the rest of us with booooring jobs. This is not fair. By destroying all archaeologistic sites and stuff in the world, the complete and utter unemployment of all archaeologists in the world will be ensured. This will bring them into the fold with the rest of the working population, when they also have to apply for booooring jobs.

Next step: Destroying their hats.

Meh, I think, before destroying the ancient sites, we could at least try to perform some ancient rituals at them to open a dimension portal or unleash an eldritch abomination or something like that. It always works in movies.

EDIT:

I am now picturing a story where a group of Dark Cultists have - after waiting for decades for the stars to reach the right alignment, decades of deception, manipulation, human sacrifices and unspeakable horrors - gathered at the site of a horrible, blasphemous statue of a Great Old One, and are preparing to perform the ritual to set him free after millenia of dark slumber, so that he may rule once more over a realm of chaos and madness...only for a bunch of ISIS dudes to storm the scene with sledgehammers and drills, trying to demolish the statue.

[Hladgos]

It makes me extremely unhappy that historical monuments like this are destroyed and we hardly ever hear about it on the news.

Well, it depends what news you're talking about. It's the front page of BBC News right now.

Well I haven't heard anything here in Kansas, nor has anyone I've talked to about it known a single thing at all. If normal people don't know about it, word isn't getting out.

[Todlichebujoku]

Well, it depends what news you're talking about. It's the front page of BBC News right now.

Well I haven't heard anything here in Kansas, nor has anyone I've talked to about it known a single thing at all. If normal people don't know about it, word isn't getting out.

It's front and center on the World section of the CNN website. On the front page, the only mention of IS is that they're throwing gay men off roofs.

[Hladgos]

Well I haven't heard anything here in Kansas, nor has anyone I've talked to about it known a single thing at all. If normal people don't know about it, word isn't getting out.

It's front and center on the World section of the CNN website. On the front page, the only mention of IS is that they're throwing gay men off roofs.

If I don't hear about it from people in the hallway, professors, parents, and coworkers, it really hasn't made itself apparent. I don't doubt that in other places that are more caring than Kansas it's a more well known thing, but I like to compare to things around here often. If the whole world is raving about it, I wouldn't know other than from my periodical checking of news sites and readings of threads here on NS. Colbert Report usually keeps issues in the light, but I haven't been watching it lately.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Destroy the past, and you control the future. The Soviets knew that when they tried to stamp out all aspects of Tsarist Russia (including religion), the Khmer Rouge as well, and now ISIS.

That's perhaps slightly misleading when it comes to the Khmer Rouge - they idolised Angkor Wat as a symbol of Khmer ethnic superiority to the extent of putting its silhouette right in the centre of the flag of Democratic Kampuchea. It was the recent past that the Khmer Rouge sought to obliterate; the classical past - especially the Khmer Empire of the 9th through 15th centuries - was something they preferred to appropriate rather than destroy.

You know ISIS is bad when they start pulling shit that even the Khmer Rouge wouldn't do.

[Rio Cana]

I, for one, welcome this destruction.

For too long, archaeologists across the world have had cool jobs (and hats). Not like the rest of us with booooring jobs. This is not fair. By destroying all archaeologistic sites and stuff in the world, the complete and utter unemployment of all archaeologists in the world will be ensured. This will bring them into the fold with the rest of the working population, when they also have to apply for booooring jobs.

Next step: Destroying their hats.

So they can go here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaPPhTTGEzQ

[Devvo Mate]

I, for one, welcome this destruction.

For too long, archaeologists across the world have had cool jobs (and hats). Not like the rest of us with booooring jobs. This is not fair. By destroying all archaeologistic sites and stuff in the world, the complete and utter unemployment of all archaeologists in the world will be ensured. This will bring them into the fold with the rest of the working population, when they also have to apply for booooring jobs.

Next step: Destroying their hats.

Mate I can tell you right now Archaeology is beyond fucking boring.

[Untaroicht]

ISIS claims anything from the pre-Islamic era is automatically blasphemous? The Kaaba was originally carved with over 360 idols of arabic pagan gods and spirits.

*grabs sledgehammer*

Let's get to work!

[Baltenstein]

ISIS claims anything from the pre-Islamic era is automatically blasphemous? The Kaaba was originally carved with over 360 idols of arabic pagan gods and spirits.

*grabs sledgehammer*

Let's get to work!

They actually do want to destroy the Kaaba.

[Benuty]

ISIS claims anything from the pre-Islamic era is automatically blasphemous? The Kaaba was originally carved with over 360 idols of arabic pagan gods and spirits.

*grabs sledgehammer*

Let's get to work!

They actually do want to destroy the Kaaba.

Atleast they are honest in their iconoclasm. How long before they burn the Quarans from the era of the Third Caliph?

[Tagmatium]

I, for one, welcome this destruction.

For too long, archaeologists across the world have had cool jobs (and hats). Not like the rest of us with booooring jobs. This is not fair. By destroying all archaeologistic sites and stuff in the world, the complete and utter unemployment of all archaeologists in the world will be ensured. This will bring them into the fold with the rest of the working population, when they also have to apply for booooring jobs.

Next step: Destroying their hats.

Mate I can tell you right now Archaeology is beyond fucking boring.

Yeah, right.

Completely dull and a waste of time.

But it's a damned shame that the majority of the general public disagree with us, right?

[Dakran]

Oh... Well shit... Is there going to be anything left in the middle east by the time I get around to visiting cultural sites? This is honestly saddening...

Arch, I imagine the international archaeology community has brainstormed ways to protect these sites but that there's not much that you can, directly do, right? :/

One could always form a crack team of historians, archaeologists, curators and the like along with paramilitary operators to secure, and if necessary wrest control of these sites from the dirtbags squatting in them, then evaluate them for preservation.

Is this a reference to that WWII movie with the soldiers who's goal was to track stolen art?

[Salus Maior]

It only solidifies their position as utter barbarians. Literally. They're acting like the Vandals right now.

[Salus Maior]

Oh... Well shit... Is there going to be anything left in the middle east by the time I get around to visiting cultural sites? This is honestly saddening...

Well, I assume Israel's sites will still be secure.

[TotallyNotEvilLand]

Goddamn, ISIS. You want to start stealing candy from babies and kicking puppies too? You're already a fucking supervillain organization.

[Salus Maior]

Goddamn, ISIS. You want to start stealing candy from babies and kicking puppies too? You're already a fucking supervillain organization.

Not so much supervillian, just barbarians.