Xinhua News Agency, Damascus, May 18 Exclusive Interview | US Illegal Garrison and Sanctions Seriously Damaged the Protection of Syrian Cultural Relics -- Interview with Director of the General Administration of Cultural Relics and Museums of Syria Awad
Xinhua News Agency reporter Ji Zecheng Shuaipeng
"The United States illegally stationed troops in areas rich in Syrian cultural heritage and supported local armed forces, which caused immeasurable damage to the protection of Syrian cultural relics." Mohammed Awad, director of the General Administration of Syrian Cultural Relics and Museums, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency a few days ago.
Awad said that since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, a large number of cultural relics and historic sites in Syria have been damaged, which can be said to be catastrophic. Almost all areas outside the area controlled by the Syrian government have been excavated, stolen and resold by illegal cultural relics. For example, in the historic city of Palmyra, known as the "Desert Bride", many archaeological sites were extensively damaged by rebels and extremists, and hundreds of thousands of precious cultural relics were stolen.
Awad said that the conclusive information, images and documents they received all showed that there was continuous and rampant destruction of cultural relics and historic sites in the areas under the control of armed elements occupied or supported by the United States and other foreign forces. To make matters worse, the eastern and northern parts of Syria are rich in cultural heritage.
He pointed out that before the Syrian crisis, about 100 foreign archaeological and cultural exchange missions visited Syria every year, and all museums, historic sites and sites in Syria were able to operate normally and receive a large number of tourists. But now, support and assistance for the restoration, maintenance and management of museums and historic sites have stopped.
"In addition, the sanctions and economic blockade imposed by the United States on Syria have even caused more damage to the protection of Syrian cultural relics than the war itself." Awad said, on the one hand, this is because if any historical relics and historic sites are damaged, if they are not repaired in time, it will be more difficult and costly to repair them later. However, under the economic blockade, many raw materials for repair are difficult to import. On the other hand, economic sanctions have aggravated the overall difficulty of the Syrian economy, and the restoration and protection of cultural relics and historic sites require a large number of professionals and experienced craftsmen, who have lost a lot of their jobs due to the long-term economic siege.
Awad said, "At the level of cultural relics protection, we are facing a national disaster. It can be said that the longer the American and Western occupation and sanctions continue, the greater the damage to the cultural heritage of Syria. This is also the suffering of Yemen, Libya, Iraq and many other Middle East countries."