Culturalcide: The Systematic Destruction and Rewriting of World History at the Hands of ISIS

Abstract

The artistic tradition of the Middle East is under attack. While sensationalized media and fear-mongering politicians seem to dominate the discussion on ISIS, researchers are racing against time to work on conservation and education efforts to try and preserve what is left of the artistic heritage of Iraq and Syria. This paper seeks to present a factual and understandable view on cultural destruction in the Middle East at the hands of ISIS. This paper is divided into several parts discussing; the history of ISIS, why ISIS attacks art and architecture, the scope of their destruction and the long and short term effects this destruction has on local and global communities, as well as current and proposed conservation efforts. From this discussion it is clear that ISIS' propaganda does not always align with the group’s actions and that there needs to be a global awareness of the ongoing situation if current and future conservation efforts are going to be truly successful. This paper is part of a growing academic field studying ISIS and a larger community-based movement for accessible and accurate information. It is the hopes of the author that this paper accurately addresses the severity of this destruction within communities and encourages more discussion about conservation efforts in the Middle East, the importance of the artistic tradition of the Middle East, and the importance of global solidarity against this destruction.