A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

ISIS Now Said to Destroy 10th Century Monastery

The latest atrocity attributed to the "Islamic State" (which I still call ISIS as I consider them neither Islamic nor a state, and it gives me some satisfaction to refer to these destroyers of "idols" by the name of an Egyptian mother goddess) — though perhaps I should follow John Kerry's lead and use the Arabic acronym Da‘ish since it appears to really anger them — is that in addition to destroying the ruins of Nineveh, Nimrud, and now reportedly Hatra, they have also reportedly demolished the Monastery of Mar Girguis (Saint George) just north of Mosul.

AINA website photo from Wikipedia
This is a 10th century foundation, much rebuilt however; it was founded as a monastery of the Assyrian Church of the East and is now a Chaldean Catholic monastery and seminary.

I would add one word of caution. There were reports last year that it had been destroyed, which proved unfounded, and the source is still coming from the Iraqi government. On the other hand, some previous unfounded reports of ISIS depredations have merely proven to be premature, and they soon get around to it.

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