ISIS has taken the head of one Syria's prime archeologists, Khaled al-Asaad. The renowned scholar was held captive for a month before being brutally murdered by the terrorist organization. The reason for his murder was his unflinching stance on the antiquities that ISIS has been looking for in Asaad's native Palmyra.
More than their hardcore interpretation of Islam, ISIS has also been targeting priceless artifacts across the historic nation-allegedly to fund their terrorist activities. Asaad was a central figure in moving these historically irreplaceable objects from Palmyra to a safe place.
In an interview granted to The Guardian, Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, said that Asaad's month-long detainment ended with him "executed when he refused to cooperate."
"Mr. Palmyra," as Asaad was affectionately known by his friends and family, dedicated his whole life to the preservation and discovery of Palmyra's artifacts. He is reported to have moved hundreds of statues and other relics from the Palmyra museum to a safe place before ISIS took control last spring.
Syrian state antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said that Asaad's family pleaded with him for months to leave the area as he was an automatic target for ISIS. However, his dedication was such that he said to them, "I was born in Palmyra and I will stay in Palmyra and will not leave even if it costs me my blood."
He was beheaded in front of a crowd of dozens in a square just outside the museum. His mutilated body was then hung on one of the Roman columns for everyone to see.
Amr al-Azm, former antiquities official in charge of science and conservation labs and personal friend of Khaled al-Asaad, said that his death was an "irreplaceable" loss. Khaled al-Asaad cared for Palmyra like no one else did.
