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| Member of ISIS destroyed the priceless Assyrian winged bull statue at the Mosul Museum. Photo Credit: Vice |
Following the events in Mosul last week, the Antiquities Coalition strongly supports the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR), Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), and Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Joint Statement on Cultural Destruction in Iraq. We join our partners ASOR and the AIA in condemning all attacks on heritage, but especially those that are used to intimidate populations through a campaign of terror. The ongoing violence by extremist groups such as ISIL and its affiliates demands swift and effective action. We support UNESCO in its recently announced international coalition against cultural racketeering, including its planned strategic summit on security issues like terrorist financing, which will bring together INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and key regional partners in the Middle East. It is time to start exploring solutions to these global threats against our cultural heritage.
See the AIA Joint Statement HERE
