Syria’s Blood Diamonds
At The Wall Street Journal, Christian C. Sahner explores the Syrian civil war and its impact on Syrian culture. While the plundering of antiquities is nothing new during a conflict, the case in Syria is different as the destruction of religious sites is purposely done to stoke sectarian hatred. “The loss of temples, churches, mosques and museums is a consequence of a conflict that devalues human life and heritage at a fundamental level,” Sahner writes. “By destroying history, Syria’s warring factions risk destroying the future of their country. Sadly as the current war on cultural heritage shows, this is well on its way to happening.”