Destruction of History

ISIL forces were forced from the city of Palmyra after fighting with the Syrian Army who was aided by allied forces and Russian air forces.

Palmyra was taken by ISIL back in December during a surprise attack, and according to a story by Al Jazeera thanks to the efforts of the Syrian army and Iranian backed militia, ISIL were pushed out of the city Thursday. ISIL forces retreated to the east, and the Syrian military combed the area to clear out landmines.

During the time that Palmyra was captured by ISIL in March of last year they destroyed most of the archeological sites and destroyed other historical ruins throughout the city when they retook Palmyra in December.

This destruction of archeology and historical sites is something that has been a major staple of ISIL forces. While they destroy them because they think that they are monuments of idolatry, they also sell these priceless artifacts on the black market to fund their war machine.

The historical destruction comes from the way in which ISIL views the faith of Islam, they think that worshipping  at monuments is wrong and has been going on since 2014.

This destruction of cultural history is reminiscent of what the Nazis did during WWII, but we can only hope that ISIL can be stopped before it is too late. 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/palmyra-russia-backed-syria-army-retakes-ancient-city-170303050427702.html
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/03/isis-destroys-ancient-art.html