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	The targeted destruction of the ancient cultural history of Syria and Iraq by Al Jazeera, Unesco   24 August 2015   Syria: UNESCO chief condemns destruction of Palmyra’s ancient temple.   The Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, has condemned the destruction of Palmyra’s ancient temple of Baalshamin, in Syria, a World Heritage site.   “The systematic destruction of cultural symbols embodying Syrian cultural diversity reveals the true intent of such attacks, which is to deprive the Syrian people of its knowledge, its identity and history, said Ms. Bokova.   “One week after the killing of Professor Khaled al-Assaad, the archaeologist who had looked after Palmyra''s ruins for four decades, this destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity,” she added.   According to UNESCO, Baalshamin temple was built nearly 2,000 years ago, and bears witness to the depth of the pre-Islamic history of the country. According to several reports, the building was blown up on Sunday 23 August. Its cella, or inner area, was severely damaged, and followed by the collapse of the surrounding columns.   The structure of the Baalshamin temple dates to the Roman era. It was erected in the first century AD. The temple is one of the most important buildings in Palmyra. It is part of the larger site of Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world, famed for its Greco-Roman monumental ruins, repeatedly targeted by Da’esh [also referred to as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL] since May 2015.   02 Mar 2015   Baghdad - On Baghdad’s al-Mutanabi street, Iraqis mourned the destruction of 3,000-year old statues in Mosul.   "I’m so upset I can’t speak about it," said one woman interviewed her eyes filling with tears.   The huge statues of winged bulls with human heads at the gates of Assyrian palaces are among the most iconic symbols of ancient Mesopotamia. Known as lamassu, they were meant as protective spirits. Their images are recreated on everything from copper plates to the walls of embassy buildings around the world.   The stone statues have guarded the gates of Nineveh in present-day Mosul since the palace was built in the 7th century BC.   Last week, they fell to men with power drills and a mission to eradicate every trace of Iraq’s pre-Islamic civilisation.   "Believe me, I couldn’t sleep all night when I heard the statues were destroyed," said Abdullah Doshan, a sculptor.   The artistry in Assyrian stone carvings astounds sculptors today. Lions and gazelles seem to leap out of the walls.   The "cradle of civilisation" - the fertile land of ancient Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers fostered the world’s first known cities. The first writing was believed to have developed there more than 5,000 years ago. Many Iraqis view the ancient achievements as their legacy.   "This is our culture, it’s our civilisation which we’ve built on. This is our identity," said Hussam Sabah Khalil, an arts student. “When I go to other countries I tell them ‘I am a son of the Baylonian empire, a son of the Assyrian empire, a son of Iraq. We need to wake up. We can’t lose anymore."   Museum officials said it was unclear how many of the 172 pieces at the museum had been destroyed or sold.   Many of the museum staff are still in Mosul. They have remained at home since ISIL gunmen took over the building in June.   "All the Iraqi people, even the Mosul residents want to protest but they have no power. If they went out to protest they would be killed”.   Mosul, chosen by ISIL as the capital of its self-declared state, was traditionally a centre of commerce and culture - the most religiously diverse and one of the most sophisticated Iraqi cities.   The ruins of Nineveh, the capital of the powerful Assyrian empire, are within its city limits.   “Many of the best musicians of Iraq were born in Mosul," said Saad Eskander, outgoing director the National Library. "Apart from that, the most important historians came from Mosul, the first woman judge came from Mosul. Mosul was the important city in terms of the culture and history of Iraq."   Just days before ISIL released the video of the destruction in the Mosul museum, reports surfaced that the group had burned the Mosul library.   Khaldoon Salem used to visit the museum when he studied at Mosul university. "It is unimaginable," he said. "They are destroying our civilisation. They are destroying our history."   27 February 2015   UNESCO chief condemns ‘cultural cleansing’ in Iraq   The head of the United Nations agency mandated to protect heritage sites has reiterated her dismay at the “destructive fury” exhibited by militants of the ISIL in their recent assault on the Mosul Museum.   Briefing journalists at a press conference, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General, Irina Bokova, condemned the devastation of artefacts and bas-reliefs, including large statues from the UNESCO world Heritage site of Hatra, by ISIL.   “This tragedy is far from just a cultural issue: it’s an issue of major security,” she declared. “We see clearly how terrorists use the destruction of heritage in their strategy to destabilize and manipulate populations so that they can assure their own domination.”   Ms. Bokova, who has urged Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council to meet on ISIL’s rampant destruction of cultural heritage, said she was encouraged by “the strong international mobilization” against the group’s actions and warned that the “deliberate destruction” of cultural heritage is a war crime according to the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).   She added that she had already contacted ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda “to attract her attention to the attacks on the Mosul Museum and encourage her to open a case.”   ISIL extremists have reportedly engaged in “cultural cleansing” across Iraq and other territories occupied by the group, including the destruction of religious heritage belonging to Muslim, Christian and Jewish sects alike. At the same time, they also participate in the illicit traffic of artefacts in order to help fund their terrorist acts.   At the press conference, the Director-General also confirmed that UNESCO is preparing to launch a coalition of partners to stop the illegal trade of cultural heritage.   http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=50256#.VPqsrY6pX-Z http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51704#.Vdvngn2pVow Visit the related web page
	DR Congo: Arrests of Young musicians, Democracy Activists by Human Rights Watch   The arrest of at least 26 activists and others in Kinshasa on March 15, 2015, raises serious concerns of a broader crackdown on free expression before the 2016 Democratic Republic of Congo presidential elections, Human Rights Watch said today.   The arrests, including of foreign journalists and a United States diplomat, followed a news conference by the pro-democracy youth movement Filimbi, organized with support from the US embassy in Kinshasa.   On March 17, 2015, the authorities arrested and roughed up at least 10 Congolese activists in the eastern city of Goma during a peaceful protest outside the office of Congo’s National Intelligence Agency (Agence Nationale de Renseignements, ANR), calling for the release of those arrested in Kinshasa. ANR agents beat a Belgian woman bystander who was later hospitalized, and briefly detained a Belgian journalist.   “The Congolese government’s detention of pro-democracy activists is the latest alarming sign of a crackdown on peaceful protest ahead of next year’s presidential elections,” said Ida Sawyer, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Congolese authorities should immediately release those detained if they haven’t been charged with a credible offense and ensure access to their lawyers and families.”   Human Rights Watch called on United Nations Security Council members, who are due to discuss the situation in Congo on March 19, to publicly press Congolese authorities to immediately release all those detained for their peaceful activities and speech.   Among those arrested on March 15 were Congolese activists, musicians, journalists, technicians, and bystanders; youth leaders and activists from Senegal and Burkina Faso; a US diplomat; two French journalists; and the French director of a production company. The US and French citizens and two Congolese were released after several hours. The others remain detained, possibly by the intelligence agency. They have not been brought before a judge, officially charged with offenses, or had access to their lawyers or families, raising concerns for their safety.   Following the news conference at the Eloko Makasi music studio, men in military police uniform arrived at about 4 p.m. and began arresting people. Witnesses said that the officers at first targeted foreigners. They then began arresting Congolese as well, including those who were preparing the concert stage, and bystanders. The security forces were very rough with several Congolese and West Africans, witnesses said, banging the head of a Senegalese activist against the door of a pickup truck and beating others.   The security forces also took computers and other documents and materials from the hall and destroyed banners.   The military police drove those arrested away in at least three unmarked, white pickup trucks. The US and French citizens were taken to the headquarters of the ANR in Kinshasa, where they were interrogated by senior intelligence officials, then released after several hours. It is not known where the Congolese, Senegalese, and Burkinabe citizens are being detained.   Several Congolese pro-democracy organizations had organized a workshop to introduce Filimbi (“whistle” in Swahili), a new Congolese youth movement. The workshop’s objectives were to promote civic engagement and youth mobilization, and to discuss how Congolese youth can organize in a peaceful and responsible manner to fulfill their duties as citizens.   Youth leaders and activists from Senegal and Burkina Faso came to Kinshasa for the workshop to share their experiences. The Senegalese were members of Y’en a Marre, a group involved in protests against former President Abdoulaye Wade’s controversial bid for a third term in 2012. Those from Burkina Faso were part of Balai Citoyen, a group that participated in protests against former President Blaise Compaoré’s attempt to change the constitution to extend his 27-year term.   “Y’en a Marre and Balai Citoyen are well respected organizations that have worked to promote responsible, civic engagement by youth in West Africa,” Sawyer said. “They came to Kinshasa to share their experiences with Congolese youth, including the importance of peaceful means for youth to engage in the political process.”   Filimbi worked in partnership with Eloko Makasi, a socially conscious music and video production company based in Kinshasa’s Masina neighborhood. Musicians who participated in the workshop went to the Eloko Makasi studio on March 14, 2015, to create a song based on what was discussed at the workshop to encourage Congolese youth to be involved in the democratic process and to promote a free, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.   In a March 16 statement, the US embassy in Kinshasa said the Filimbi workshop was one of many activities the US government supports that involve youth and civil society. “These well-known, well-regarded, non-partisan youth groups as well as the organizers of the weekend’s events intended to promote Congolese youth participation in the political process and encourage young people to express their views about issues of concern to them,” the statement said. “DRC government officials and ruling coalition parties were invited to and some were present during the event.”   Under Congo’s constitution, presidents may serve only two consecutive terms. President Joseph Kabila’s second term ends in 2016. While presidential elections are not scheduled until November 2016, political tensions have been rising across the country. In January 2015, at least 40 people were killed when security forces brutally repressed demonstrations in Kinshasa and other cities to protest proposed changes to Congo’s electoral law that would have delayed elections and enabled Kabila to prolong his term. Numerous political party and civil society leaders have been arrested after speaking out against proposed changes to the constitution or Congo’s electoral system.   “These latest arrests signal a worrying clampdown on freedom of expression and assembly in Congo – fundamental elements of a free, transparent, and peaceful electoral process,” Sawyer said. “Youth leaders, musicians, and activists should be able to meet, discuss, and learn without fear of arrest.” Visit the related web page
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