Iraq minorities ‘face wipeout’
OUTRAGE AT DAESH DESTRUCTION OF HERITAGE AS UNESCO CALLS FOR SECURITY COUNCIL MEET
Minority communities in Iraq have been targeted by Daesh with the aim of wiping them off large parts of the country, a report by a group of human rights organisations said yesterday.
The research for the report shows very clearly that Daesh “has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide against religious and ethnic minorities in northern Iraq”, said Alison Smith, legal counsel of No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) organisation. “These atrocities cannot go un-remarked and un-addressed.”
Iraqi minorities face a “threat to their existence”, said another group, the Institute of international law and Human Rights.
Meanwhile, a video of Daesh terrorists in Iraq gleefully smashing ancient statues to pieces with sledgehammers sparked global outrage and fears that more of the world’s oldest heritage will be destroyed.
Archaeologists and heritage experts called for urgent action to protect the remains of some of the oldest civilisations in the world and the UN cultural agency demanded an emergency meeting of the Security Council. “This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy this is also a security issue as it fuels sectarianism, violent extremism and conflict in Iraq,” Unesco chief Irina Bokova said.
Arab League chief Nabeel Al Arabi denounced the destruction as an “odious crime” against cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to defeat terrorists and defended Britain’s secret services after media reports named Daesh executioner “Jihadi John” as London graduate Mohammad Emwazi. “We will do everything we can with the police, the security services, with all that we have at our disposal, to find these people and put them out of action,” Cameron said.
US President Barack Obama’s administration has also pledged to kill or capture “Jihadi John”.