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EDITORIAL: ISLAMIC STATE DESTRUCTION EXTENDS FAR BEYOND KILLINGS
The Brown Daily Herald
Nov 19 2014
By Editorial Page Board
The beheadings of American and British journalists and aid workers,
the many killings of Lebanese and Kurds and the unknown number of
Syrians who have died due to the Islamic State are almost unfathomable
in their tragedy. Undoubtedly, these murders exemplify the brutal
tactics of Islamic State militants. And these horrific killings are
only one aspect of the larger picture of destruction caused by war
and violence in the Middle East.
CNN published -- inappropriately enough in its Style section -- an
article Nov. 5 entitled "The Greatest Buildings You'll Never See:
19 Priceless Monuments Lost in Middle East Conflicts." While this
aesthetically pleasing slideshow was obviously intended to be a quick
read, the subject of this article brings up a seriously underlooked
consequence of violence in the Middle East. The ancient city of Bosra,
the Great Mosque and Citadel of Aleppo and the crusader castle Crac
des Chevaliers are just a few of the immeasurably important historical
landmarks that have been damaged, or even completely destroyed, by
the civil war and Islamic State attacks in Syria, among other nations.
Most recently, this September, the Armenian Genocide Museum was
destroyed by the Islamic State and rendered completely unusable in
its current state.
It is difficult to fully consider the loss of material things in the
context of human suffering, but it is still crucial to acknowledge
the importance of the destruction of these historical sites. Many of
these sites offer valuable archaeological evidence on the empires of
pre-Islamic Persia and contribute to the scarce art history discourse
surrounding Near Eastern art. By exterminating these sites from memory,
the Islamic State attempts to construct a history that places Persia as
the representation of pure Islamic culture that developed independently
of any preceding or external influences.
Moreover, the destruction of such landmarks reduces the tourist
economy and hurts the livelihoods of citizens who rely on such sites
for business. Already, the violence that has seized Syria since
2011 has temporarily devastated the country's tourism industry. As
a country with unrivaled archaeological sites, Syria was once an
extremely popular tourist destination, with tourism accounting for
12 percent of the nation's gross domestic product in 2010. Naturally,
fear of the widely reported violence in Syria -- and the Middle East
more generally -- has temporarily hindered that industry.
The escalating destruction of historic sites by the Islamic State
and other violent actors in the Syrian wars may make such declines
in tourist revenue irreversible. This devastation will only further
decimate the Syrian economy, a trend many argue further perpetuates
the chance for violence.
Thus, when condemning the violence of the Islamic State and other
militant groups, it is crucial to not only highlight the explicit
loss of life but also the increasing architectural destruction and the
reverberations that it could, and likely will, have on the livelihood
of millions of citizens dependent on the tourism industry for economic
survival. Undoubtedly, it is impossible to reserve equal empathy for
people and material things, but it is extremely important to recognize
the effect of the destruction of these priceless monuments in much
more than just an ephemeral or intangible manner.
http://www.browndailyherald.com/2014/11/19/editorial-islamic-state-destruction-extends-far-beyond-killings/
From: A. Papazian
The Brown Daily Herald
Nov 19 2014
By Editorial Page Board
The beheadings of American and British journalists and aid workers,
the many killings of Lebanese and Kurds and the unknown number of
Syrians who have died due to the Islamic State are almost unfathomable
in their tragedy. Undoubtedly, these murders exemplify the brutal
tactics of Islamic State militants. And these horrific killings are
only one aspect of the larger picture of destruction caused by war
and violence in the Middle East.
CNN published -- inappropriately enough in its Style section -- an
article Nov. 5 entitled "The Greatest Buildings You'll Never See:
19 Priceless Monuments Lost in Middle East Conflicts." While this
aesthetically pleasing slideshow was obviously intended to be a quick
read, the subject of this article brings up a seriously underlooked
consequence of violence in the Middle East. The ancient city of Bosra,
the Great Mosque and Citadel of Aleppo and the crusader castle Crac
des Chevaliers are just a few of the immeasurably important historical
landmarks that have been damaged, or even completely destroyed, by
the civil war and Islamic State attacks in Syria, among other nations.
Most recently, this September, the Armenian Genocide Museum was
destroyed by the Islamic State and rendered completely unusable in
its current state.
It is difficult to fully consider the loss of material things in the
context of human suffering, but it is still crucial to acknowledge
the importance of the destruction of these historical sites. Many of
these sites offer valuable archaeological evidence on the empires of
pre-Islamic Persia and contribute to the scarce art history discourse
surrounding Near Eastern art. By exterminating these sites from memory,
the Islamic State attempts to construct a history that places Persia as
the representation of pure Islamic culture that developed independently
of any preceding or external influences.
Moreover, the destruction of such landmarks reduces the tourist
economy and hurts the livelihoods of citizens who rely on such sites
for business. Already, the violence that has seized Syria since
2011 has temporarily devastated the country's tourism industry. As
a country with unrivaled archaeological sites, Syria was once an
extremely popular tourist destination, with tourism accounting for
12 percent of the nation's gross domestic product in 2010. Naturally,
fear of the widely reported violence in Syria -- and the Middle East
more generally -- has temporarily hindered that industry.
The escalating destruction of historic sites by the Islamic State
and other violent actors in the Syrian wars may make such declines
in tourist revenue irreversible. This devastation will only further
decimate the Syrian economy, a trend many argue further perpetuates
the chance for violence.
Thus, when condemning the violence of the Islamic State and other
militant groups, it is crucial to not only highlight the explicit
loss of life but also the increasing architectural destruction and the
reverberations that it could, and likely will, have on the livelihood
of millions of citizens dependent on the tourism industry for economic
survival. Undoubtedly, it is impossible to reserve equal empathy for
people and material things, but it is extremely important to recognize
the effect of the destruction of these priceless monuments in much
more than just an ephemeral or intangible manner.
http://www.browndailyherald.com/2014/11/19/editorial-islamic-state-destruction-extends-far-beyond-killings/
From: A. Papazian