Since the Arab Spring, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), culture has become a weapon of war and a terrorist financing tool for violent extremist organizations.

The Antiquities Coalition, Asia Society, and Middle East Institute convened the #CultureUnderThreat Task Force to counter these threats to our world heritage and national security. The Task Force brings together leaders from the heritage, law enforcement, legal, military, and security communities. This is the first time such a diverse group of experts has come together to develop such a comprehensive range of solutions.

Our joint task force report—#CultureUnderThreat: Recommendations for the U.S. Government—details the current situation and puts forward 31 specific

recommendations to address the ongoing crisis. It calls for new policies, practices, and priorities for the United States to implement, both on its own and in conjunction with the international community and private sector. These include steps that can be taken by the Obama Administration, Congress, United Nations, and the art market.

We hope that the United States government will view these recommendations as an opportunity to extend its leadership in the prevention of cultural crimes around the world.

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Daesh's Department of Antiquities. By placing this under the Natural Resources Diwan, Daesh has proven it views cultural heritage as a resource to be exploited. Credit: The Day After Project, Heritage Protection Initiative
Screen grab of extensive looting at tentatively listed UNESCO site Mari in Syria. Imagery sourced via Digital Globe using Hexagon Geospatial Smart M.App technology.
Artifacts seized during a raid on Daesh commander Abu Sayyaf’s compound in May 2015. The illicit artifacts were in his possession when the raid was conducted. Credit: U.S. Department of State
Active looting in Daesh occupied territory. Credit: The Day After Project, Heritage Protection Initiative
Funerary stele recently looted from Palmyra and put up for sale at the auction in Raqqa, Syria in March 2016. Credit: The Day After Project, Heritage Protection Initiative
Timbuktu, Mali is known for its uniquely constructed ancient structures. The Mausoleum of Cheick Alpha Maya - an exceptional example of earthen architecture - became the target in the cross hairs of Islamist extremist destruction. Credit: (c)Photo by UNESCO/Ministere de la culture du Mali/DNPC
The U.S. Embassy in Iraq returns over 400 ancient cultural artifacts to the Government of Iraq after they had been looted and recovered by the U.S. Credit: U.S. Embassy in Iraq
The Mausoleums of Palmyra, Syria lie near the ancient Roman archaeological site of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Mausoleum of Mohammed Bin Ali is one of two Palmyra mausoleums destroyed by Daesh explosives in their march of destruction across the ancient site. Credit: Photo via militant social media account
Raqqa, Syria has served as home to immense carved basalt lions from the 8th century who guarded the entrance to an Assyrian palace, yet their reign ended when lion statues were destroyed by Daesh using bulldozers after the terror group captured the city in 2014. Credit: Photo by the Association for the Protection of Syrian Antiquities: 12 June 2014
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Aleppo, is over 1,200 years old and serves as a landmark of the Syrian city. The famous mosque’s minaret towered over the ancient city of Aleppo until its destruction during the Syrian civil war in 2013. Credit: (c)Photo by Aleppo Media Center/AP
The Omari Mosque in Daraa, Syria is one of the oldest mosques in the world, dating back to the seventh century. It served as a symbol of the Syrian uprising and as a result, was heavily targeted by the regime leading to its ultimate destruction during the Syrian civil war. Credit: Before and After Photos by Syrian Uprising Information Center: 13 April 2013 After
Timbuktu Mali is home to over 300,000 carefully preserved Islamic manuscripts. These relics became a target in January 2013 when radical Tuareg Islamists set fire to the Ahmed Baba Institute building and thousands of its precious manuscripts it housed. Fortunately, countless more manuscripts were saved thanks to the work of the local people. Credit: Photo by Trevor Snapp
Since 2011 Arab Spring, a wave of destruction at the hands of Salafi Islamist has hit Sufi shrines, mosques and tombs most of which date back more than half of a millennium. Shrines like the one shown here in Libya fell victim to the deliberate destruction of extremist groups following the Arab Spring uprisings. Credit: Photo via militant social media account 10 March 2015
Interpretation of Sufi Islam by Islamic extremist has led them to demolish Sufi religious sites, including the important Sidi Sha’ab mosque in Tripoli, Libya which served as both a place of worship and the resting place of the holy many Sidi Al-Sha’ab’s. Credit: Photo via Adam (@4Adam): 25 August 2012
Receipt in Arabic (left) with English translation (right) of acknowledging the looted antiquities value amount received by Daesh. The documents were among items seized in a raid on the compound of Daesh commander Abu Sayyaf in May 2015. Credit: US State Department Andrew Keller Deputy, Assistant Secretary for Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
Letter in Arabic (left) with English translation (right) identifying Daesh's Antiquities Division leadership in the Western Governorates of Iraq. The documents were among items seized in a raid on the compound of Daesh commander Abu Sayyaf in May 2015. Credit: US State Department Andrew Keller Deputy, Assistant Secretary for Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
The Tomb of Jonah, also known as the Mosque of the Prophet Yunu or Shrine of Nabi Yunnis in Mosul, Iraq was demolished using explosives on July 2014 by Daesh as part of their march of destruction across Iraq. It was one of dozens of ancient structures destroyed in Mosul by the terror group. Credit: Photo via Diyar (@DKurdistan): 24 July 2014
The Mosul Museum, Iraq’s second largest museum representing over 5,000 years of history, was ransacked by Daesh in one of the group's performative campaigns of cultural cleansing. Credit: Photo from Sam Hardy via militant social media account: 26 February 2015
Daesh's campaign of cultural cleansing has put an end to more than 2,000 years of lamassu’s reign of protection over Nineveh. One of Iraq's most famous ancient cities. Credit: Before Photo by Mohammed Tawfiq al-Fakhri/Almosul Heritage (almost.com) After Photo via militant social media account
U.S. Department of State repatriates looted artifacts to the government of Iraq. Credit: Photograph By Kelly Lowery, U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement
Once known for its pristine artifacts and elaborately painted mummies, Abu Sir Al Malaq is now a site lost to the black hole of cultural racketeering in Egypt that has surged in the country since the 2011 Arab Spring. Credit: Google Earth Digital Globe: 13 October 2014
Following the extensive looting and destruction of the Mallawi Museum in Minya, Egypt in 2013, recovery efforts have led to more than half of the artifacts being returned, but many of the rare and most historically resonant pieces remain missing. Credit: Photo via Egypt’s Heritage Task Force: 21 August 2013

BACKGROUND

The heritage of the Middle East and North Africa is under attack. Terrorist organizations like Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) are destroying history to erase cultural identity, while looting and trafficking antiquities to arm their cause. This organized plunder and targeted destruction is first and foremost a threat to the people of the region, as well as to millions of archaeological, historic, and sacred sites, and the very “Cradle of Civilization.”

Daesh has razed entire temples at the ruins of Palmyra in Syria and Nimrud in Iraq, dynamited the Judeo-Christian Tomb of Jonah and the Sunni mosque of the Prophet Yunnis, pillaged the Mosul Museum, and obliterated countless Shiite and Sufi places of worship. But Daesh is not alone: from Egypt to Libya to Yemen, cultural crimes have proliferated in the vacuum of political instability and breakdown of security following the 2011 Arab Spring. These attacks are funding conflict and crime, creating long lasting economic damage, and undermining future peace. They are war crimes and a warning sign of impending genocide.

We need coordinated, targeted, and urgent action.

THE TASK FORCE

The #CultureUnderThreat Task Force was convened by the Antiquities Coalition, Asia Society, and Middle East Institute to explore solutions to this growing crisis and serve as an ongoing resource to policy makers. The Task Force builds upon the 2015 Cairo Conference, where ministers from ten key MENA countries agreed to take steps against cultural racketeering. Their collective action plan—the Cairo Declaration—was reinforced by the #CultureUnderThreat Forum held on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015.

The recommendations that follow begin with actions that the Task Force believes the United States government can and must take to end cultural crimes. They are also intended to serve as a guide for leaders across the international community and in the private sector. It is important to recognize that the success of these recommendations will depend on adequate funding being made available, not only for implementation, but for additional research to help us better understand the illicit trade in antiquities.

Ending the cultural crisis in the Middle East and North Africa is a national security and human rights imperative. Adoption of these recommendations would go far in addressing this crisis. The Task Force stands ready to assist in this effort.

Full Report Available Recommendations Executive Summary
for Download Here Overview Here Here

The United States should immediately and fully implement United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2199 and 2253 to cut off terrorist financing from antiquities trafficking.

U.S. Government

The National Security Council (NSC) should allocate staffing resources to track antiquities trafficking and its links to terrorist financing and organized crime.

The White House

The United States Congress should expeditiously pass the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act (H.R. 1493/ S. 1887).

Congress

The Department of Defense should support the United States Committee of the Blue Shield’s continuing work to create “no strike lists” of cultural heritage sites that should not be targeted during armed conflict.

The Armed Forces and DOD

U.S. law enforcement should shift its focus from seizure and repatriation of antiquities to the dismantling of criminal networks through criminal prosecution.

Agencies and Departments

In recognition that crimes against culture are human rights violations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights should develop responses to cultural cleansing and racketeering.

The United Nations

Art market players should pledge to be fully transparent in their dealings, making publicly available documentation of legal title and known ownership history for all antiquities.

The Market

TASK FORCE MEMBERS

The #CultureUnderThreat Task Force members have reached a consensus around the general report and its policy recommendations, although each member does not necessarily endorse every finding and conclusion. Each has participated in their individual capacities and not as representatives of their institutions.

CHAIRS

Amb. Wendy Chamberlin
President
Middle East Institute

Deborah M. Lehr
Chair & Founder
Antiquities Coalition

Josette Sheeran
President & CEO
Asia Society

PROJECT DIRECTOR

PROJECT STAFF

Tess Davis
Antiquities Coalition

Katie A. Paul
Antiquities Coalition

MEMBERS

Amr Al-Azm
Shawnee State University

Jan C.K. Anderson
U.S. National Committee of ICOMOS

Ann Benbow
Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)

Neil Brodie
University of Oxford

Kate Burmon
Northeastern University

Bonnie Burnham
World Monuments Fund (Emerita)

Allison Cuneo
American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) Cultural Heritage Initiatives

Emma Cunliffe
University of Oxford

Michael Danti
American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) Cultural Heritage Initiatives

Ricardo Elia
Boston University

Marc Elliott
Monterey Terrorism Research and Education Program (MonTREP)

Michelle D’Ippolito Fabiani
University of Maryland, Criminology Department

Yaya J. Fanusie
Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance
Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Jason Felch
ChasingAphrodite.com
Fusion GPS

Anita Canovas Forjette
Attorney at Law

Patty Gerstenblith
DePaul University College of Law

David Grantham
National Center for Policy Analysis

Peter Herdrich
Antiquities Coalition

Barbara T. Hoffman
The Hoffman Law Firm

Brigadier General (Ret.) Russell D. Howard
Monterey Terrorism Research and Education Program (MonTREP)

Tommy Livoti
Army Reserve

Colette Loll
Art Fraud Insights

Elizabeth Madigan Jost
Morgan Stanley

Shana Mansbach
Inside Revolution

Tom Nagorski
Asia Society

Malcolm W. Nance
Terror Asymmetrics Project (TAPSTRI)

Kelly Moore
Conflict and National Security Consultant

Nicole Payntar
University of Texas, Austin

Ariel Ratner
Inside Revolution

Victoria Reed
Museum of Fine Art, Boston

C. Brian Rose
University of Pennsylvania

Lawrence Rothfield
“The Past for Sale” initiative, University of Chicago

Kate Seelye
Middle East Institute

Andrew G. Vaughn
American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR)

Corine Wegener
Smithsonian Institution

WATCH THE TASK FORCE PANEL

TASK FORCE PANEL PHOTO GALLERY

CULTURE UNDER THREAT SMART M.APP

ABOUT THE SMART M.APP

To provide a graphical representation of cultural crimes committed by Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL ) and other extremist organizations in the Middle East and North African region, the Antiquities Coalition partnered with Hexagon to create the Culture Under Threat Map. The interactive map program base includes current high-resolution satellite imagery maps and displays the destruction of heritage sites in the Middle East and North Africa. The Smart M.App’s satellite imagery base paired with the metrics for viewing multiple data combinations provides unique insights into cultural cleansing that were not previously available through standard GIS maps.

The Culture Under Threat Smart M.App temporally illustrates losses to date with

easy to use time and date slide bars showing when incidents took place. Unlike previous maps that show a static time set, the Culture Under Threat Smart M.App timeline can be used to understand how destruction has evolved across the broader MENA region at a given time. The ability to view this timeline with any combination of data sets allows for a unique examination of patterns. This allows experts to not only quantify data across a wide region, but provides an opportunity to understand the types of patterns that are occurring which can better inform them in the development of solutions to the critical threats caused by cultural cleansing.

MAP USE INSTRUCTIONS

This map is interactive and user friendly, it is designed to be explored and clicked throughout and can be accessed using all browsers, computers, tablets and smart phones.
To zoom, click the “+” or “-” buttons on the map – zooming will spread the numbered icons as the map gets more detailed.
Zooming in to full depth will reveal the latest available Digital Globe satellite imagery in any given area.
To see more information about each site marked, click on the icon of your choice to see the pop-up of information.
To see charts with data by type – click on the 3 bar icon to the right and select “Charts”, this will give options to view a pie chart with groups responsible for destruction as well as the option to view timeline.
- For the timeline, select a span of time to view incidents by date of occurrence.
- For the suspected group pie chart, click on any group in the chart to view incidents by selected group responsible.
Metrics for both the suspected group chart and the timeline can be viewed in any combination to see the metrics available.
Click around and explore!

#CultureUnderThreat Task Force

Since the Arab Spring, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), culture has become a weapon of war and a terrorist financing tool for violent extremist organizations.

Daesh's Department of Antiquities. By placing this under the Natural Resources Diwan, Daesh has proven it views cultural heritage as a resource to be exploited. Credit: The Day After Project, Heritage Protection Initiative

Screen grab of extensive looting at tentatively listed UNESCO site Mari in Syria. Imagery sourced via Digital Globe using Hexagon Geospatial Smart M.App technology.

Artifacts seized during a raid on Daesh commander Abu Sayyaf’s compound in May 2015. The illicit artifacts were in his possession when the raid was conducted. Credit: U.S. Department of State

Active looting in Daesh occupied territory. Credit: The Day After Project, Heritage Protection Initiative

Funerary stele recently looted from Palmyra and put up for sale at the auction in Raqqa, Syria in March 2016. Credit: The Day After Project, Heritage Protection Initiative

Timbuktu, Mali is known for its uniquely constructed ancient structures. The Mausoleum of Cheick Alpha Maya - an exceptional example of earthen architecture - became the target in the cross hairs of Islamist extremist destruction. Credit: (c)Photo by UNESCO/Ministere de la culture du Mali/DNPC

The U.S. Embassy in Iraq returns over 400 ancient cultural artifacts to the Government of Iraq after they had been looted and recovered by the U.S. Credit: U.S. Embassy in Iraq

The Mosul Museum, Iraq’s second largest museum representing over 5,000 years of history, was ransacked by Daesh in one of the group's performative campaigns of cultural cleansing. Credit: Photo from Sam Hardy via militant social media account: 26 February 2015

Daesh's campaign of cultural cleansing has put an end to more than 2,000 years of lamassu’s reign of protection over Nineveh. One of Iraq's most famous ancient cities. Credit: Before Photo by Mohammed Tawfiq al-Fakhri/Almosul Heritage (almost.com) After Photo via militant social media account

U.S. Department of State repatriates looted artifacts to the government of Iraq. Credit: Photograph By Kelly Lowery, U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement

Once known for its pristine artifacts and elaborately painted mummies, Abu Sir Al Malaq is now a site lost to the black hole of cultural racketeering in Egypt that has surged in the country since the 2011 Arab Spring. Credit: Google Earth Digital Globe: 13 October 2014