Islamic State beheads antiquities scholar for protecting ancient Palmyra
Islamic State (IS) militants beheaded renowned antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad in the ancient town of Palmyra Tuesday after he refused to reveal the location of treasures in the site.
The extremist group held the 81-year old scholar for about a month before in front of dozens in a square outside the town鈥檚 museums, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Militants then took Mr. al-Asaad鈥檚 body to Palmyra鈥檚 archaeological site and hung him from one of the Roman columns, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, told SANA.
Born in Palmyra, a 2,000-year-old Roman-era city and UNESCO World Heritage site, Asaad led the town鈥檚 Antiquities and Museums Department for forty years. He continued to work as an expert on the archeological site after retiring in 2003, SANA reports.
Mr. Abdulkarim described Asaad as "one of the most important pioneers in Syrian archaeology in the 20th century."
鈥淛ust imagine that such a scholar who gave such memorable services to the place and to history would be beheaded ... and his corpse still hanging from one of the ancient columns in the centre of a square in Palmyra,鈥� Abdulkarim said.
鈥淭he continued presence of these criminals in this city is a curse and bad omen on (Palmyra) and every column and every archaeological piece in it.鈥�
An unverified, chilling photo circulating on social media shows Asaad鈥檚 body tied to a pole on a street in Palmyra. A board resting on his head in front of his body lays out the , accusing him of loyalty to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, maintaining contact with senior regime intelligence and security officials and managing Palmyra鈥檚 collection of 鈥渋dols,鈥� the Guardian Reports.
The historian had been a member of President al-Assad's ruling Baath party since 1954, Khalil Hariri, Asaad's son-in-law, told The Associated Press. He , the lingua franca of the area before the rise of Islam in the 7th century, wrote several books and texts, and discovered several ancient cemeteries and caves in Palmyra.
Yet his accomplishments would only provoke IS. The group聽has seized a third of Syria鈥檚 territory since it established itself as a caliphate last summer.聽Under their violent interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, extremist militants claim ancient artifacts and archeological sites 鈥減romote idolatry鈥� and should be obliterated.
Before the group聽captured Palmyra聽from government forces in May, Syrian officials said they聽聽of ancient statues to safe locations out of fear they would be demolished, Reuters reports.聽
Yet many still fear the extremists would sabotage the town鈥檚 ancient ruins as they continue to destroy its artifacts seen as idolatrous, including a lion statue dating back to the 2nd century.
Several historical sites are now under threat from IS. Last week, a mortar attack killed working at the fortified Citadel of Damascus, according to Syria鈥檚 Culture Ministry. And on Wednesday, online of IS 鈥渞eligious police鈥� destroying ancient artifacts in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, the BBC reports.
"Al-Asaad was a treasure for Syria and the world," Mr. Hariri, al-Asaad's son-in-law told the AP. "Their systematic campaign seeks to take us back into pre-history," he added.
鈥淏ut they will not succeed."
