There are numerous documentaries of militants demolishing ancient archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria. One of the documentary which I came across which had a lasting impact on me was 5 ancient sites ISIS has destroyed | In 90 seconds. The documentary shows the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq after the rise of the militant group. These cultural sites are considered by militant groups as a symbol of polytheism. The documentary also shows how the militants destroy historical cultural sites which archives thousands of years’ civilizations which existed in the ancient Babylon. These cultural heritages tell us about living style of the ancient civilizations that laid their foundation.
The documentary shows the most gruesome acts of destruction by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). In one of the heartbreaking scenes the revered sites are destroyed by huge dynamites including destruction of 2000-year-old temple in the historic ruins of Palmyra, stone sculptures and other centuries old artifacts in a Mosul Museum, Jonah’s tomb inside a Sunni mosque called the mosque of the prophet in Mosul and ancient city of Hatra as well as the ancient city of Nimrud. These sites with most rare cultural heritage and artefacts were destroyed within few seconds with dynamites. This lead to complete erasure of our precious history. Moreover, Mosul museums which is a symbol of protector of precious cultural heritage is destroyed through hammers and drills to smash ancient artifacts and destroy several large statues, including one depicting a winged-bull Assyrian protective deity that dates back to the 9th century BC. The broken artefacts are further broken further into smaller pieces by militants so that they are completely erased. Once these cultural heritages are erased, it cannot be subsequently showcased for education. In such a scenario, there will not be proper education on history of civilizations or the civilsations once these place represented. Such act of destruction of cultural heritage is a tactic to propagate violence and eradicate history.