Islamic State militants blow up temple in ancient city of Palmyra

Everything that happened or was created before the coming of Islam or created outside of Islam now, is worthless to the fervent followers of Islam. Islam is everything, people are nothing, history and heritage are nothing. Only Islam matters – as I’ve said many times, Islam is a substitute God. Reuters:

Islamic State militants on Sunday blew up the temple of Baal Shamin, one of the most important sites in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, the country’s antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdul Karim, said.

The temple bombing would be the first time the insurgents, who control swathes of Syria and Iraq and captured Palmyra in May, damaged monumental Roman-era ruins.

A week ago, the militants beheaded Khaled Asaad, an 82-year-old scholar who worked for over 50 years as head of antiquities in Palmyra, after detaining and interrogating him for over a month.

Before the city’s capture by Islamic State, Syrian officials said they moved hundreds of ancient statues to safe locations out of concern they would be destroyed by the militants.

In June, Islamic State blew up two ancient shrines in Palmyra that were not part of its Roman-era structures but which the militants regarded as pagan and sacrilegious.