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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS^©

10 September 2005

The Islamic regime in Tehran has renewed its war of destruction on pre-Islamic Iranian heritage. Its intention is to build up an Islamic empire and to change the whole face of Iran into a backward purely Islamic nation. The Islamic Republic of Iran sees its Iranian heritage as a formidable enemy of its conquest. It aims at turning Iran into a pure form of an Islamic nation. Hence, they have waged a war on Iranian antiquities in the hope of suppressing Iranian pride and nationalism.

"Cultural Terrorism" should be a term to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. Since its inception twenty—six years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been in a state of constant war with the Iranian people as well as the Iranian heritage.

Over its life span, the Islamic Republic zealots have tried many times to cleanse the pre—Islamic Iranian heritage in the name of Islam. First, they declared war against the Persian New Year or 'Nowruz', and then they attacked other Iranian traditions and customs. At the beginning of the revolution, Islamic zealots rushed to the site of the Persepolis, the magnificent palace of the Achaemenid kings. Fortunately, the total bulldozing of the relics of the Palace was averted by Iranian patriots who wished to preserve their heritage.

In their latest attempt in the war of destruction, the Islamic Republic has been insidiously planning to obliterate some of the most cherished places in Iranian history. They intend to eradicate the Pasargadae, the Bolaghi Valley and the Persepolis. Most of all, they are obliterating the memory of one of history's great rulers, Cyrus the Great.

In Pasargadae is found the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great, the King of Kings and the founding father of Persia. Cyrus the Great, who is mentioned twenty—five times in the Bible, is known for his passion and compassion and his unprecedented tolerance. Cyrus the Great's Charter of Human Rights is known to be the first such charter written, and  refers to the concept of humans as having universal rights, regardless of legal jurisdiction, ethnicity, nationality or religion.

Cyrus the Great's most notable reputation of a great leader stands high as a Persian king who freed the Jews from captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Cyrus the Great, not only allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple, but assisted the Jews in this endeavour, something which was followed by his heirs.

Cyrus the Great proclaimed more than 2500 years ago,

"Today, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion and free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights."

Cyrus the Great declared himself not a conqueror, but a liberator.

It has been said that Alexander the Great set the torch to Persepolis in a drunken rage, regretting it the following day. Alexander the Great plundered Persia. He destroyed and burned Persepolis, the magnificent palace complex of the Achaemenid kings. Yet, Alexander the Great paid tribute to Cyrus the Great at his mausoleum. This shows how much the king of kings was respected, even in the eyes of his fierce enemies. What Alexander came to set on fire to more than 2200 years ago, the Islamic Republic intends to submerge today.

In its war of construction and destruction, the Islamic Republic has been building "Sivand Dam" near the Iranian antiquities. The construction of the Sivand Dam on the Polvar River began in 1992 without consultation with or the knowledge of the World Cultural Heritage Organization officials. The dam's opening was planned in March 2005, but the Iranian energy ministry has delayed it to early 2006 to give the archaeologists more time to examine the sites.

This dam will flood the entire Tang-e Bolaghi (Bolaghi Valley) mountain pass and the surrounding region. That would lead to some 8 kilometres of the Bolaghi Valley being submerged and lost forever. Thus, experts of ICHCTO and the Pars-e Pasargadae Research Foundation quickly undertook a project to study the area.  So far they have identified more than 100 archaeological sites there.

The Islamic Republic's ulterior motive in building "Sivand Dam" so close to the archaeological sites was to intentionally flood the vast archaeological area of Pasargadae, including the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great, Bolaghi Valley, the King's path and the main historical road of Persia, which was constructed by order of Darius of the Achaemenids and the relics of the magnificent palace of Persepolis.

Although the Islamic Republic's records speak dismally for itself, there are numerous reasons for this cultural genocide by the Islamic regime, in Iran.

The Islamic regime's decision to destroy Cyrus the Great's mausoleum is due to their inner fear of the personification of Cyrus the Great in the heart of every Iranian. Since Cyrus the Great released the Jews from captivity some 2500 years ago, the Islamic Republic's intense hatred of Jews has fuelled their mission of destruction. Also, fear of Iranian nationalism is so immense that it stands in their way of creating an Islamic Utopia. These fears are justified, especially following the news on the future release of a British movie on the life of Cyrus the Great.

Today, we are up against a truly malignant force in radical Islamism that is breeding, sheltering and financing its terrorist armoury. This new enemy of humanity and world heritage is far more radical and dangerous than the Nazi Germany or the old Soviet Russia ever were. The Islamic Republic's ultimate objective is the destruction of everything in the world that is good and leaving behind a network of Islamic terror around the free world.

Let us hope that people of the earth become united against the forces of evil and evildoers of radical Islamism. Let us hope that the free world applies pressure to the Islamic Republic to prevent them from purging the Iranian heritage.

Top of Page

"History is the Light on the Path to Future"

Encyclopaedia Iranica

The British Institute of Persian Studies

"Persepolis Reconstructed"

Persepolis3D

The British Museum

The Royal

Asiatic Society