Lebanon: Targeting archaeological sites in the south is an assault on the people's memory and the country's history
Beirut, August 19 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Wednesday that attacks targeting historical and archaeological sites in the south of the country constitute a blatant assault on “the people’s memory and the nation’s history.” This statement was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office during Salam’s meeting with UNESCO Director-General Dr. Khaled al-Anani, at which a memorandum of understanding was signed between Lebanon, represented by Minister of Culture Dr. Ghassan Salameh, and the international organization “to establish a comprehensive institutional framework for cultural cooperation.”
During the meeting, Salam noted that “the UNESCO General Conference convened in Beirut in 1948, and Arabic was adopted as the conference’s working language in a historic step that cemented its global presence,” pointing to the participation of the late Egyptian writer Taha Hussein at the time, who delivered a lecture on the Arabic language. He added that “Beirut’s selection in 2019 as a Creative City of Literature within UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network reflects its dynamic and evolving cultural character,” emphasizing the importance of inscribing the castles of Jabal Amel and Sidon on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Lebanese Prime Minister stressed that despite wars and explosions, particularly the 2020 Beirut port blast, the Lebanese capital “remains vibrant and carries the banner of renewal and heritage in the Arab world.” He called for support for Lebanon’s efforts to protect its archaeological sites and rehabilitate those damaged by continuous Israeli occupation attacks.
Earlier on the same day, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received from the UNESCO Director-General a certificate inscribing the five castles of Jabal Amel in the south on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Aoun considered the organization’s decision “an international recognition of the exceptional value of this civilizational heritage, which encapsulates centuries of southern Lebanon’s history, and is an integral part of humanity’s shared heritage.” (End) F.Z. / T.M.A.
