Supreme Religious Authority's stance on Iraq's stolen antiquities

The Imam Hussain Shrine held the First International Conference on Iraq’s Heritage and Antiquities in which 22 countries participated.

Representative of the Shia Muslim Supreme Religious Authority, sheik Abdul-Mehdi ElKerbela’ey delivered the inaugural speech, in which he called for an international and lawful action to restore Iraq’s stolen antiquities.

ElKerbela’ey added, “Our national, religious, and moral duty necessitates us, especially the intelligentsia, working persistently to protect our heritage and to restore to Iraq its antiquities that represent its humanitarian culture, which enriched the world with its intellectual, legal, and social thought.”

He continued, “Although Iraq was exposed to inhumane ideologies that defamed the Iraqis’ reputation and spread misconceptions, we still adhere to our genuine principles of culture.”

ElKerbela’ey then called for reviving Iraq’s heritage and knowledge to enlighten the world, for Iraq is the land of civilizations, prophets, and reformers.

He concluded, “We, foundations, shrines, and other concerned centers in Iraq, are willing to cooperate to revive and restore our heritage, knowledge, and manuscripts,” noting that an international action is required to restore Iraq’s stolen antiquities, for they represent Iraq and Mesopotamia.

 

Editing: Mustafa Ahmed Bahidh

Translation: Mohammed Alobaidi

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