YPG: We protect antiquities as they are part of our history
The People's Protection Units (YPG) denied what the Syrian Antiquities' director Mahmoud Hamoud said, and they stated, "The Syrian director must provide his evidence and documents that prove his words, not to fall to the level of deception in the constructed speech that contradicts his competence, also he should talk about the Turkish bombardment against all monuments in Afrin canton," during a statement.
NEWS DESK
The Media Center of the People's Protection Units has issued on Thursday a statement to the public opinion, denying what the Syrian Antiquities' director said about the transfer and sale of Antiquities by the People's Protection Units.
The text of the statement included,
"In a statement of Dr. Mahmoud Hamoud, the director of the Syrian Antiquities to the German Press Agency (DPA) on the 17th of November, he unleashed a false statement of a number of facts that contradict the simplest standards of the accuracy and professionalism assumed in the entrusted academic personality on the monuments that bear the memory of the components of Syria and its history, and which should be a guiding light for the Syrians.
The statement of the director of the Syrian Antiquities contradicts his scientific mission, falls within the framework of supporting a particular political party and marketing lies and fabrications against our forces whose tournaments in defending all the components of North Syria were witnessed by the enemies before the friends, and who were able to provide a model in organizing the energies of youths of various components to defend it and prosecute terrorism in all its names at a time when the state gave up its duties.
Putting our forces together with the terrorist IS organization and Jabhet al-Nusra at one rank and accusing us of thieving or trading in antiquities by the Syrian Antiquities' director are a serious sin. We reject this statement. We affirm to everybody as the facts confirmed in the past years that we have sacrificed our best fighters and leaders in our battle against these two terrorist organizations and we cannot accept this abuse by the mentioned person or by his department.
Our forces which liberated the areas from the hands of the terrorists and mercenaries have worked during the past few years to preserve and protect the archaeological sites; historic hills and cultural sites such as castles, bridges and excavations that the regime had abandoned to be exposed to the terrorist groups' practices throughout the country. We have maintained the Roman bridge and the archaeological sites in Tel Mozan and we liberated Tel Brak, Tel Helef, al-Sukariyah Castle, Najim Castle, Jabar Castle and the cultural sites in the city of al-Raqqa, al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor. Over the past years, we have shown great concern for the history and civilization of the area and have fought against abusers, antiquities' dealers and saboteurs.
It is natural for YPG and YPJ that pursue the remnants of terrorism in all areas of North and East Syria to maintain their defensive fortifications in the places they consider to be appropriate, whether on hills and heights or in plains and lands. These are purely military establishments imposed by the circumstances of the stage and the battle we are undergoing. We will continue to do so as long as our country is threatened by the terrorists or the invaders. In any case, our forces have always been keen to preserve and protect the monuments because we fully believe that these are our identity which we defend of it.
H
ANHA
