Do Not Let A Civilization Be Destroyed

Hello Everyone:

Happy New Year to one and all.  Both Blogger and The Candidate Forum hope you had a lovely new year's celebration.

twitter.com

It may be only January 6 but already 2020 is off to a scary start.  Apocalyptic fires in Australia continue to devastate the sub-continent, the American embassy in Iraq was stormed by protesters, and now the targeted assassination of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani.  Today's post is not about the reasons why General Suleimani, rather, it is about the threat made by Mr. Donald Trump to target sites in Iran, including site of cultural patrimony.  Mr. President said that sites of cultural patrimony were among 52 potential targets of American forces if Iran retaliated against the United States.  The number 52 is for the number of American hostages held by Iran between November 1979 and January 1981.  Why would the President of The United States threaten to included cultural heritage site as potential target for American military forces if Iran retaliates?

Golestan Palace
Tehran, Iran
iranreview.org

Thus far through his tenure in office, Mr. Trump as gone out of his way to praise the Iranian people while condemning its autocratic regime.  However, in dangling the threat of retaliatory strikes against Iran on Saturday, he fell back on a threat that deliberately blurred the line between a country's regime and its people (washingtonpost.com; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020).  Suggesting strikes on 52 sites, including cultural heritage sites, the president was threatened to wage war in way that has drawn outrage over recent decades.  Irina Bokova, the former director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has condemned such attacks a cultural cleansing (Ibid).  Ms. Bokova told the U.N. Security Council in 2017 (en.unesco.org; Mar. 24, 2017; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020)

The deliberate destruction of heritage is a war crime,... it has become a tactic of war to tear societies over the long term (washingtonpost.com; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020)

Although Ms. Bokova was primarily referencing the destruction of cultural heritage site by the Islamic State, her word have eerie relevance for Iran, which has 22 sites listed on the World Heritage Sites.  In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, attorney Sara C. Bronin and historic preservation specialist, responded to the president's threat to target Iranian sites of cultural patrimony,

...A nation that willfully destroys another country's heritage would be no better than the criminals who have destroyed irreplaceable sites in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in recent years (latimes.com; Jan. 5, 2020; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020)

Map of Iran's cultural heritage sites
letsvisitpersia.com

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee tweeted,

... Targeting civilians and cultural sites is what terrorists do.  It's a war crime (washingtonpost.com; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020)

The United States has been a leader in shaping the contemporary consensus of the destruction of cultural property: this form of war is both a crime against the nation and humanity that endangers civilian lives and dignity (Ibid).  In March 2017, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, inter alia destruction of religious and artefacts during armed conflict (Ibid).

Historically, attacks on cultural heritage sites have been a frequent feature of armed conflict since ancient times.  In the twentieth century, the brutality of both World Wars not only spotlighted the Germans' attacks on their opponents' dignity and national identity but also the Allied forces bombardment of Dresden, which triggered the debate that continues to this day.  Going forward, the international community is quite determined to take cultural heritage protection very seriously.

Masjid-e Jame
Isfahan, Iran
whc.unesco.org

UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay said that both Iran and the United States are signatories on the 1972 convention to protect the world's natural and cultural heritage sites (whc.unesco.org; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020).  They are also signatories on the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (uscbs.org; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020), combatants should take all possible steps to protect cultural property including monuments of architecture, art or history, whether religious or secular (washingtonpost.com; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020).  In 2016, North African militant Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi was convicted by the International Criminal Court of intentionally directing attacks against historic monuments and/or buildings dedicated to religion for his role in the destruction of nine mausoleums and a mosque in Timbuktu, Mali in 2012.  It was the first trial focused on the destruction or damaging of cultural property.  Mr. al-Mahdi is currently serving a nine year prison sentence (Ibid).  The message being, attack a nation's cultural heritage and there will be consequences.  Will the president heed that message?

The tweet storm began Saturday evening, inspired by the storming of the American consulate in Benghazi and the American embassy in Tehran in 1979.  American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went on the Sunday news programs to try to soften the president's threats, saying "the US would act within international law" (bbc.com; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020).  However, the president later doubled down on his threats, saying:

They're allowed to kill our people, they're allowed to torture and maim our people, they're allow to use roadside bombs and blow up our people--and we're not allowed to touch their cultural site?  It doesn't work that way" (Ibid).

Yes, it does.

Persopolis 550-330 BCE
Marvdasht, Fars Province, Iran
politifact.com

Defense Secretary Mike Esper added the United States would ...follow the laws of armed conflict.  When Secretary Esper was asked if he meant "no," because targeting a cultural sites is a war crime?, he said, That's the laws of armed conflict (Ibid).
Yours Truly thinks that Secretary Esper may be wee confused about the difference.

 What are some of the possible sites that could be on the president's target list?  There are five potential sites that could be high on the president's list.  At the top of the list is the ancient city of Persopolis, added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979.  It was the capital of Achaemenid Empire and hosted festivals and official receptions.  The site features several massive structures, column, and stone carved designs.  As an archaeological site, there is no equivalent to it (nationalpost.com; date accessed Jan. 6, 2020).

Bazaar of Tabriz
whc.unesco.org

Another potential target, guaranteed to cause the most death and destruction, is the Golestan Palace in the heart of Tehran.  The 18th century complex was the seat of the Qajari government as well as a an arts and recreation facility in the region (Ibid).  The Masjed-e Jame of Isfahan could also be on the president's potential target list.  The name translates to "Friday Mosque" and is considered the oldest congregational mosque in Iran (Ibid).

Naqsh-e Jahan
Isfahan, Iran
archinect.com

The Bazaar of Tabriz could also be a target for the president.  Historically, the bazaar has been one of the most important sites for merchants since the Silk Road--even Marco Polo was said to have stopped by the market during his travels.  This complete example of traditional Iranian commercial and cultural systems still functions as a market place.  Finally, Naqsh-e Jahan Square could also be a target.  This World Heritage Site is one of the largest public squares in the world and one of Iran's best-known tourist attraction.  It was heart of the Safavid capital's culture, economy, religion, social power, government, and politics (Ibid).

Dear readers, you do not have to be any particular political or philosophical persuasion to be horrified at the mere idea that the President of The United States would dare to suggest he would commit a war crime.  Today, our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation began circulating a petition, expressing its condemnation of the president's would-be actions.  Yours Truly urges you to go to support.savingplaces.org and add your name.  The simplest reason Yours Truly can give you for why cultural heritage sites are important is, you can destroy a building or city and people will rebuild them.  You destroy their cultural heritage sites and you erase a civilization.