UN chief strongly condemns bulldozing of Iraq’s Nimrud
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned in the strongest terms the continuing breach of international humanitarian law by the ISIL Takfiri militants, particularly the bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian Iraqi city of Nimrud.
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In a statement on Friday, Ban said he is “deeply disturbed” by such acts of terror, including the systematic campaign of destruction of cultural patrimony in Iraq and the ISIL terrorist group’s latest attack on the archaeological site of Nimrud.
He called on political and religious leaders in the region to “raise their voices in condemnation of those unacceptable attacks.”
“The deliberate destruction of our common cultural heritage constitutes a war crime and represents an attack on humanity as a whole,” the UN chief added.
'WAR CRIME'
Condemnation poured in against the ISIL’s bulldozing of the ancient city of Nimrud with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) terming it as a "war crime."
"I condemn with the strongest force the destruction of the site at Nimrud," said UNESCO head Irina Bokova, adding, "We cannot stay silent. The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage constitutes a war crime, and I call on all political and religious leaders in the region to stand up against this new barbarity."
Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani also censured the targeting of the country's cultural heritage, particularly the destruction of Nimrud city by the ISIL terrorist group.
“This once again demonstrates their (ISIL's) barbarism, savageness and antagonism towards the Iraqi people not only at the present time but throughout history and its ancient civilization which dates back ages,” said Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, who represents the influential Shia cleric in Iraq.
Iraqi government officials said on Thursday the ISIL Takfiri militants have “bulldozed” the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.
The Takfiri group “assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles,” read a post on an official Facebook page of the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
On February 26, the ISIL terrorist group released a video showing its militants using sledgehammers and drills to smash ancient statues at the Ninawa museum in Mosul, which puts on display Assyrian artifacts dating back to the 9th century B.C.
The Takfiri terrorists have already razed to the ground a number of mosques in Syria and Iraq, many of them dating back to the early years of the Islamic civilization. The terrorists have also destroyed tombs belonging to revered Shia and Sunni figures.
