(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
DOHA: H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (pictured) Cultural Advisor to Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned the destruction of world heritage sites in conflict zones as he addressed a dinner hosted yesterday for “The New York Times Art for Tomorrow” conference.
“The heritage of humanity is integral for all of us and any damage that occurs thereto affects as well the entire history of humanity. I feel a remorseful direct pain when I see the world’s great heritage sites among which I lived and which I constantly visited now being destroyed. This destruction is still ongoing in Homs Aleppo Palmyra Mosul and Nimrod” said Dr Al Kuwari.
He called the attacks a threat to the heritage of humanity which affects mostly the Middle Eastern and Arab regions.
“Symbolic sites that are a record of human history have been devastated by the forces of darkness sites such as Timbuktu Bamiyan and Palmyra. These nefarious misguided forces strived to erase these treasures from our consciousness and from our global map even though they represent a memory chosen by Unesco to be inscribed on its List of World Heritage Sites.
I was infuriated like many of my fellow human beings by these criminal violations which began occurring in 2011 in the valleys of Afghanistan where wonderful ruins and artworks disappeared from the record of humanity.”
Citing the extensive damage done in heritage sites in Timbuktu and Palmyra he called the terrorist attacks a war crime on humanity.
“What these terrorist groups did in Palmyra was an unprecedented disaster as they destroyed the tombs of Timbuktu inscribed on the Unesco’s List of World Heritage Sites and we share in this regard the opinion of those who saw this as a horrific war crime conducted upon all of humanity.”
He also mentioned Libya where centuries old mosques and Quran schools were destroyed and famous archeological sites were pillaged of their treasures.
Dr Al Kuwari expressed appreciation for the assistance of the international community as well as Unesco which restored the archaeological site in Timbuktu.
“I would also like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for all those who serve this cultural humanitarian cause which is an integral part of the African Continent and the Arab Islamic Civilisation’s great heritage.”
H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari Cultural Adviser to H H the Emir with officials at the event.
He praised the crucial role played by media in highlighting the issue. “This role has greatly contributed in raising global awareness on this incredibly important issue and helped focus public opinion on the seriousness of these war crimes.”
Dr Al Kuwari who is candidate to the post of the Director-General Unesco promised to bring attention to heritage if elected to the post.
“If I am fortunate enough to be provided the opportunity to become the Director-General of the Unesco I will bring greater attention to the issue of heritage namely in Timbuktu which was one of the main commercial and spiritual capitals of the African Continent while also making sure not to neglect the other historical and archeological sites that remind us of our collective memory which is the tapestry I spoke about the collective consciousness of humanity.”
Recently Dr Al Kuwari was named “Man of Arab Heritage” for 2016 by the Arab Center for Tourism Media after an electronic voting campaign in which 41000 Arabs from 18 Arab States participated.
He lauded Unesco’s important role in the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage.
“Let me highlight a positive aspect of this effort which consists ofthe inscribing of wonderful Arabic coffee and Majlison the Unesco Representative List of Intangible Heritage of Humanity last year after the inscribing of Falconry.”