It is the sort of thing that makes you feel terribly sad and angry at the same time: ISIS has once again acted destructively, destroying an ancient piece of history in Iraq.
St. Elijah’s Monastery was a historical relic which had been protected for several years by American soldiers. Being the oldest catholic monastery in Iraq, Soldiers would sometimes use it as a chapel. They stopped guarding it in 2009.
This is certainly not the first time that the terrorist group has destroyed historical buildings; a 2,000 year old temple in Syria was blown up by ISIS militants in 2015, gaining international attention.
The site was not in the best shape, having been damaged in 2003 during a battle. The soldiers who occupied the building painted over the murals until a preservation initiative was begun.
Now, all of that history is just gone. All that remains is a pile of rubble and smoke as the ISIS rebels made sure to destroy every inch of the historical building. This wanton disregard for religion- and what’s more- for historical significance, is revolting. This group’s hatred must be stopped.
