Holy Sh*t! What a crime is done in the name of God >:-(

The news is that an old big tree in Northern Iran (Guilan) was simply cut down by the order of the Men of God (ayatollahs) for just being considered by some ordinary people as a holy one!!!! 40 more other old trees are also in the row of being cut down for the above mentioned stupid reason >:-(

Cutting down a tree in itself is just like doing a crime, a murder, let alone it being an ancient one. But who cares, when the only thing that doesn't matter in this Islamic country is the saving of anything ancient :-(

Update:

Los Angeles Times Blog has more of the story which you can also digg here. .

Petition:
امضا کنید : محکومیت قطع درختان کهنسال به بهانه ی مبارزه با خرافه پرستی
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TEHRAN, June 1 (MNA) -- The Achaemenid stone inscription of Khark Island was seriously damaged by vandals on Thursday night.

“Unknown people climbed the fence surrounding the cuneiform inscription and destroyed it with a sharp object, such that about 70 percent of the inscription has been seriously damaged,” Khark Deputy Governor Ali Jazebi told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.

“The nature of the damage indicates that it has been done deliberately,” he added.

In late February, experts warned officials of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization about the threats posed by the forces of nature and vandals.

Unfortunately, no appropriate security system was established to safeguard the cuneiform inscription, which has been etched on a piece of uneven rock encrusted with coral.

The valuable relic was discovered during a road construction project on the island in the Persian Gulf in mid-November 2007. The rock, measuring 85x116cm, has become detached from its original terrain.

The project was halted for a time because the rock prevented the project managers from continuing their work and finally they were forced to change the route.

Shortly after its discovery, the inscription was deciphered by Rasul Bashshash, an expert at the Archaeological Research Center of Iran (ARCI). He made the following translation: “(This) land was a dry area with no water; (I) brought happiness and welfare, Bahana… water wells.”

Experts had previously said that the inscription was important since it was another piece of evidence that confirms the word Persian for the Persian Gulf.

The discovery of the inscription sparked a media frenzy in the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, where efforts were made to cast doubt on its authenticity.

The Bushehr Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department (BCHTHD) announced on Saturday that they have filed a lawsuit against the suspected vandals.

“There are several people suspected of (being responsible for) the damage to the inscription. We have sued them so the judicial investigation will begin as soon as possible,” BCHTHD Director Ahmad Dashti told CHN.

But he refused to name the suspects.

Dashti said that 10 to 15 percent of the inscription has been damaged, which is considerably different than the Khark deputy governor’s assessment.

He rejected rumors that there was a connection between the vandalism and the disputes over the name of the Persian Gulf (Ah, so you mean this very Achaemenid inscription was chosen just randomly and out of mere luck by the so-called vandals and they took the trouble to destroy it only for fun and nothing else?!!!!! Go FOOL yourself ).

Some people believe that the BCHTHD is responsible for the problem, but Dashti rejected that view, saying, “The police are responsible for safeguarding the site, and they did their best.”

“However, lack of an appropriate area to establish a guardhouse is one of our main problems here. The island is owned by the National Iranian Oil Company and they don’t provide even a span of earth to us to set up the base,” he explained.

MMS/HG

END

MNA

News Source : Mehr News Agency

Image Source : Tabnak

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Column bases of the Achaemenid Apadana Palace of ancient Susa in Khuzestan Province have recently been demolished by vandals.

The palace’s remaining column bases have been broken into two pieces and the Old-Persian cuneiform inscriptions on the base have been obliterated, the Khuzestan Cultural Heritage Lovers Society (Tariana) spokesman Mojtaba Gahestuni told the Persian service of CHN on Sunday.

The stone inscriptions have been severed and scattered around the ancient archaeological site, he added.

“The reason for the destruction of the artefacts is not clear,” Gahestuni remarked, adding, “The incident probably results from the vandals’ ignorance of the historical significance of the relics.”

He went on to say that many problems are caused by the lack of protection and appropriate fencing around the site which covers about 360 hectares.

“The Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department (KCHTHD) undertook the installation of rods around the zone, but the measure was inadequate and has not prevented unauthorized people from entering the precinct,” Gahestuni explained.
According to Gahestuni, the use of concrete and iron rods for demarcation purposes has even led to some damage to the area.

The Apadana Palace is also being threatened by the construction of a preparatory school on its perimeter.

In early December, Tariana sent letters to the Islamic regime’s president Mahmud Ahmadinejad, asking him put a stop to the project – but the letter not so surprisingly was ignored.

The school building, which is to be four stories tall, will spoil the horizontal view from the palace ruins.

In addition, the historical metropolis of Susa, which has been inhabited for over 7000 years, is being spoilt by regime’s Municipality’s construction of a passenger bus terminal in the Shush city’s southern section.

Experts have previously given warning of the chaotic situation at the site, pointing out that such disorder has facilitated the illegal activities of smugglers who have managed to carry out excavations in search of antiquities.

“Although some have claimed who try to be politically correct, that the vandalism was done out of ignorance, but everyone knows that it was done on purpose – the evidence is the razing of the Old-Persian cuneiform inscription from the base”, said an archaeologists with KCHTHD who wished to remain anonymous for his safety.

Same archaeologist added: “this crime against our national heritage either was done by the regime's elements, who are against anything Iranian in particular pre-Islamic, or the Arab settlers of the province, who are anti-Iranians and have always acted as a fifth column in our country, esp during the Iran-Iraq war – which the Islamic regime has increased their numbers since 1980s”.

Historical background:

Susa is one of the oldest-known settlements in the world, which possibly was founded about 4200 BCE, although the first traces of an inhabited village have been dated to ca. 7000 BCE.
In historic times, Susa was the primary capital of the Elamite Empire, and was known as Šušan and Šušun. The city appears in the Sumerian records of Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, and it is described as one of the places obedient to Inanna, patron deity of Uruk.
Cyrus the Great incorporated Susa to the Achaemnid Persian Empire in 538 BCE, and later under his son Cambyses II, the capital of the dynastic Empire was moved from Pasargadae to Susa. The city lost some of its importance when Alexander of Macedon sacked and looted the city in 331 BCE. After Alexander, Susa fell to his successors, the Seleucids. The city was finally liberated by the third Iranian dynasty, the Parthians who made Susa as one of their capitals alongside Ctesiphon.
Susa was destroyed at least four times in its’ history. The first was in 647 BCE, by the Assyrian king, Assurbanipal; the second destruction took place in 331BCE by Alexander; the third destruction was done in 338 CE, by the Moslem’s invading armies. Finally, in 1218, the city was completely destroyed by invading Mongols. The ancient city was gradually abandoned in the years that followed - and now its' remains witnesses the last blow to its existence by the Islamic regime and Arab settlers of the province.

© CAIS NEWS ( ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD )

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