This is just awful - IS wrecking ancient Assyrian city

Megii

Can't find the words: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-31760656

mart

It is very sad, and frustrating at how powerless we are to stop these cretins.

chrisj1602

It's awful.  Idiots.  There was also this... 

http://io9.com/experts-assess-the-damage-wrought-by-isis-at-the-mosul-1689361237

Phil_aka_Pip

I'd love to wreck IS.

Megii

I find almost unbearable to look at this stuff.

axisus

The world has Cancer. That Cancer is called IS.

Jalapeno

Cultural vandalism pure and simple - but what they are doing to the people of Syria and Iraq is far worse

Megii

Jalapeno said:

Cultural vandalism pure and simple - but what they are doing to the people of Syria and Iraq is far worse

Of course that is the truth I know, but I find it just unspeakable that they can destroy something as precious as an ancient city founded in the 13th century BC. Those beautiful carvings and statues have stood for thousands of years, completely irreplaceable, and only to fall prey to these fucking arseholes.

PolarityMan

Cultural vandalism isn't anything new look at the christian defacing of monuments in Egypt for example. It's disappointing that it still happens in an age where I'd like to think we have a more enlightened view of the value of our own history, but sadly not surprising given the fundamentalist views in both Is and the region in general.

imalone

In a way it's unsurprising that, willing to behead and burn people to death, they don't have much respect for culture. At the same time this is nasty in a different way, what they're destroying is part of the roots of human culture and civilization. This is a crime against the people of Iraq and the rest of the world, taking from them and us something that can't be replaced and filling it instead with hatred and dogma. Even once they are thrown out there will be a bit less of the tangible history of that region for people to connect to and see it wasn't always like this. Of course dislike of 'idols' isn't stopping them selling off anything that's small enough to ship out. Money before religion you know.
I do wonder about the parallels between the current state of Islam (the unresolved sunni/shia thing) and the reformation, there are similarities in things like iconoclasm and brutality. Job for a full-time historian though.

Panama_Jack666

I find this unsettled me more than the executions (I've not watched any of them FYI). It's awful they're trying to erase Iraq's history and all knowledge and existance of a group of people.

Medieval is the only word needed to describe these cowards.

bluechargeboy

"He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past" - George Orwell

Phil_aka_Pip

PolarityMan said:

Cultural vandalism isn't anything new look at the christian defacing of monuments in Egypt for example. It's disappointing that it still happens in an age where I'd like to think we have a more enlightened view of the value of our own history, but sadly not surprising given the fundamentalist views in both Is and the region in general.

It happened here too from the late 1500s until the Restoration.

Panama_Jack666

Even the Nazi's had the sense to hide the art instead of destroying it.

Moe_Zambeek

They're also selling lots of artefacts. I suspect if it's portable and valuable it survives. I wonder who is buying them though?

Megii

I find it all just heartbreaking anyhow, makes me despair really. Which is probably what the c%*&s are trying to achieve.

Drew_TNBD

Anyone remember the library of Alexandria?

Yeah me neither.

Drew_TNBD

Also... Greenpeace did something very similar recently. I don't see the up in arms anger over that. Shame.

Megii

Drew_fx said:

Also... Greenpeace did something very similar recently. I don't see the up in arms anger over that. Shame.

What was that one @Drew_fx ?

Megii

Actually, you're right - the thing with the Nazca lines site, wasn't it?

Drew_TNBD

Megii said:

Drew_fx said:

Also... Greenpeace did something very similar recently. I don't see the up in arms anger over that. Shame.

What was that one @Drew_fx ?

https://news.vice.com/article/drone-footage-shows-extent-of-damage-from-greenpeace-stunt-at-nazca-lines