Alice Fordham, '
Smugglers Thrive On Syria's Chaos, Looting Cultural Treasures',
National Public Radio May 27, 2014
Nada Hassan from UNESCO says she's often asked why
she cares about such things when so many are dying. She says her answer
"is always that culture, cultural heritage are part of humanitarian
relief. This is about the environment of people, first of all — the
habitat of the Syrian people — and it's about their identity, their
past, what defines them." Hassan says armed rebels, starving civilians and
organized criminals are all stealing. Roman ruins, mosques,
centuries-old churches — nothing is spared. But the country needs those
tangible fragments of history now more than ever. "The Syrian heritage, and heritage in general, holds
so many influences. ... In this case ... where a country is fragmented,
heritage will have a very important unifying role," she says. She says some day the war will end. Syrians will want
to build a future — and they'll need reminders of their shared past to
do it.
Vignette:
The costs of conflict: the future is part of them.
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