Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Archaeologists for Assad?

UNESCO's Bulgarian Ex-Communist Director-General has praised Syria's Director-General for Antiquities and Museums in glowing terms.

“'When history books teach children about those who contributed to conserving Syrian heritage during the devastating conflict in Syria, Dr Maamoun Abdulkarim will be at the top of the list, along with all others who have been so dedicated and deserving of the world’s respect for their relentless, humanist commitment', said UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova."

What appears lost on UNESCO and members of the archaeological lobby who have also sung Abdukarim's praises is the fact that the Assad regime, which Abdulkarim serves, itself has been responsible not only for mass murder, but for the looting and the intentional destruction of Syrian cultural patrimony.  Indeed, Assad, like other Arab Strongmen, appears all too willing to use and abuse archaeology for his regime's own political purposes.  So, why should Abdulkarim be praised at all?
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3 comments:

  1. John HOctober 12, 2017 at 1:54 AM

    Hello Peter:
    When one considers the similarities between Assad's vile regime and the equally putrid Communist Party Of Bulgaria which that dreadful woman, Irina Bokova, served with such enthusiasm, it's no wonder it re-kindles the 'good old days' :-

    No Freedom: Isolation: Repression: Discrimination: Manipulation: Murdering Bulgarian dissidents overseas (Georgi Markov in London in 1978).

    It seems that archaeology's myopic sycophants couldn't care less about human rights just so long as they don't have to stand in line for excavation permits.

    UNESCO is an affront to the civilised world.

    Regards

    John Howland
    UK Collector & Detectorist

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cultural Property ObserverOctober 12, 2017 at 7:17 AM

    Also daughter of the editor of the Communist Party's official newspaper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irina_Bokova

    ReplyDelete
  3. John HOctober 23, 2017 at 10:43 AM

    Hello Peter:

    Huh? Editor of the Communist Party's official rag? That's a fine epitaph to be remembered by.

    Whereas those who fought for freedom and enjoy the civil rights you and I enjoy as a matter of course, the treacherous scumbags who fled the Free West to prop up the failing communist regimes in Europe up until 1989, fully deserve the approbrium heaped upon them for their treachery.

    By their past, shall ye know some Warsaw cab drivers..

    Best

    John Howland
    UK Collector, Detectorist & anti-communist

    ReplyDelete

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