A report about the Southern Kurdistan (Iraq): Historical ruins in need of being protected and preserved

Mesopotamia is a historically important region. In this region mankind experienced one of its earliest civilizations. During the course of history in Mesopotamia was built sites and irrigation channels around the rivers Euphrates and Tigris which some of even has made it to today.

In Mesopotamia, for the first time, humans began to leave their caves, and instead built their homes to live in. They built this historical heritage of the ancient peoples such as Armenians, Kurds, Jews, Assyrians, etc. This is an important demonstration for our multicultural region.

Today these historic buildings are ruins. They are living proof of human history and culture. They are the world's cultural heritage, and are so important to protect.

In recent time, many of these historical buildings and ruins in Southern Kurdistan (Iraq) was to a extent destroyed and looted by ordinary people, but to a bigger extent destroyed by the authorities that were responsible of these areas.

In this report we give some examples of the destroyed places. The scale of the injury becomes more and more for each day. Therefore, we urge all national and international human rights and cultural organizations to support our campaign against looting of our valuable heritage in Kurdistan.

- KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) controls the Southern Kurdistan. The government has the task of preserving the cultural heritages belonging to different cultures in the country. KRG must take full responsibility and immediately stop the looting going on. KRG, must create a national program to authorities, students and the public to become aware of this cultural heritage.

UNESCO and other international organizations must take more responsibility for the protection of World Heritage in Southern Kurdistan. September 15, 2009

- Kadir Nadir, Representative Campaign "Protect cultural heritages in Kurdistan"
- Ali Mahmut, Member of "Kardocide Watch CHAK", Holland
- Gabar Çiyan, Chairman of the "EuroKurd Human Rights-EHR", Stockholm
- Jan Beth-Şawoce, Chairman of the "Mesopotamian Institute (Research Center for the Assyrians history, culture and language), Stockholm


Read the report on the situation of historical ruins in Southern Kurdistan: http://eurokurd.net/index.php?id=129