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posted by takyon on Thursday August 20 2015, @01:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the unsafe dept.

Islamic State militants beheaded Khaled al-Asaad, 82, a renowned antiquities scholar in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra and hung his mutilated body on a column in a main square of the historic site because he apparently refused to reveal where valuable artifacts had been moved for safekeeping.

Before the city's capture by Isis, Syrian officials said they moved hundreds of ancient statues to safe locations out of concern they would be destroyed by the militants. Isis was likely to be looking for portable, easily saleable items that are not registered.

Unesco warned last month that looting had been taking place on an "industrial scale". Isis advertises its destruction of sites such as Nimrud in Iraq but says little about the way plundered antiquities help finance its activities. Stolen artefacts make up a significant stream of the group's estimated multi-million dollar revenues, along with oil sales and straightforward taxation and extortion.

Asaad had worked over the past few decades with US, French, German and Swiss archaeological missions on excavations and research in Palmyra's famed 2,000-year-old ruins. "He was a fixture, you can't write about Palmyra's history or anything to do with Palmyrian work without mentioning Khaled Asaad. It's like you can't talk about Egyptology without talking about Howard Carter."

Archaeological experts say Isis took over the already existing practice of illegal excavation and looting, which until 2014 was carried out by various armed groups, or individuals, or the Syrian regime. Isis initially levied 20% taxes on those it "licensed" to excavate but later began to hire its own own archaeologists, digging teams and machinery.

"Their systematic campaign seeks to take us back into pre-history. But they will not succeed."


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Friday August 21 2015, @03:55AM

    by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Friday August 21 2015, @03:55AM (#225690) Journal

    Insightful? Really mods? Its in fact a PERFECT analogy as a majority that does nothing does not matter, for some examples see the last century. the majority of Soviets were nice people, but that didn't stop Stalin from killing over 40 million, did it? I'm sure the average German didn't support the crazy Austrian, didn't stop him from committing mass murder on an insane scale did it?

    We have seen time after time after time that a passive majority that refuses to squash radicals may as well not even exist because they have ZERO effect on the outcome. I'm sure the majority of Muslims are nice people but they don't picket and shut down mosques preaching jihad, don't say shit about Sharia law which alloows hanging of gays and stoning of rape victims so the fact that they are nice people means absolutely nothing as they have NO effect on the outcome, none at all.

    --
    ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
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  • (Score: 2) by digitalaudiorock on Friday August 21 2015, @09:48PM

    by digitalaudiorock (688) on Friday August 21 2015, @09:48PM (#226055) Journal

    Insightful? Really mods? Its in fact a PERFECT analogy as a majority that does nothing does not matter, for some examples see the last century. the majority of Soviets were nice people, but that didn't stop Stalin from killing over 40 million, did it? I'm sure the average German didn't support the crazy Austrian, didn't stop him from committing mass murder on an insane scale did it?

    FFS...I had a feeling you'd chime in on this one. How does that relate to you and Runaway pinning the blame for ISIS on 22% of the population of the planet based on the religion they practice?

    Exactly what religion practiced around the world, that's so inferior to our wonderful Christian majority, is that was responsible for Stalin and Hitler? You can intellectualize all you want...all I hear is Islamaphobia.

    Reply if you want...I'm done here. You guys are fucking scary.

    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Saturday August 22 2015, @06:10AM

      by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Saturday August 22 2015, @06:10AM (#226160) Journal

      I Love how all you can do is throw insults and run away, classic progressive, if the facts aren't on your side? Throw insults or scream "ist!" and refuse to debate, classic.

      How EXACTLY is their religion any different than the racial purity religion preached by the NSDAP? How exactly is it any different than the communist/totalitarian doctrine preached by Stalin? I would argue that there is no difference because the results are the same, a passive majority that supports a radical minority equal death on a massive scale. As for the other religions, which just FYI I think are all BS? They grew the fuck up, Islam didn't. When was the last time you heard of a Christian stoning anybody? A jew chopping off hands of thieves? They both have those passages in their books but they became civilized for the most part whereas Islam is no different than it was a 1000 years ago. I will leave you with some quotes from their book, which until they grow the fuck up we have to take as law, because they sure as hell do..

      Quran 4:89: They (infidels) desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.

      Quran 8:12: Instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers;

      Quran 2:191: kill the disbelievers wherever we find them

      Quran 22:19-22: for them (the unbelievers) garments of fire shall be cut and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever is in their bowels and skin shall be dissolved and they will be punished with hooked iron rods.

      Quran 8:12: Your Lord inspired the angels with the message: I will terrorize the unbelievers. Therefore smite them on their necks and every joint and incapacitate them. Strike off their heads and cut off each of their fingers and toes.

      Quran 8:7: Allah wished to confirm the truth by His words: Wipe the infidels out to the last.

      Quran 8:59: The infidels should not think that they can get away from us. Prepare against them whatever arms and weaponry you can muster so that you may terrorize them. They are your enemy and Allah's enemy.

      Quran 8:60: Prepare against them whatever arms and cavalry you can muster that you may strike terror in the enemies of Allah, and others besides them not known to you.

      Quran 9.29 Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

      --
      ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.