The U.S. National Committee of ICOMOS expresses outrage at the systematic destruction of iconic components of Iraq’s rich and diverse heritage. Over the past several months we have witnessed the systematic destruction of iconic artifacts and archeological sites in Iraq – including stunning footage yesterday of the demolition of statues from Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site and of unique, irreplaceable artifacts in the Mosul Museum. This is also our common heritage and this wanton destruction must end immediately.
US/ICOMOS shares the sense of shock and outrage expressed by the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova in the Press Release she issued from Paris yesterday February 26th.
“I am deeply shocked by footage released today showing the destruction of statues and other artifacts of the Mosul Museum. I condemn this as a deliberate attack against Iraq’s millennial history and culture, and as an inflammatory incitement to violence and hatred,” said the Director General.
This attack by the ISIS terrorists is a direct violation of the most recent United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199 which condemns the destruction of cultural heritage and adopts legally-binding measures to counter illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural objects from Iraq and Syria.
US/ICOMOS fully supports the Director General in her urgent request to the President of the Security Council to convene an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the protection of Iraq’s cultural heritage, which is integral to the country’s security.