Islamic State Burns Libraries in Iraq

THE ART NEWSPAPER
By Helen Stoilas

In January, an Iraqi man looks at books on al-Mutanabi Street, home to the city's book market in central Baghdad. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

IRAQ---In a further attack on cultural heritage, Islamic State has begun burning books and manuscripts in Iraq. In January, militants broke into the Central Library of Mosul, and took away more than 2,000 books to be destroyed, including children’s stories, poetry, philosophy and scientific volumes, some dating from the Ottoman Empire, the Associated Press reports. Residents near the Central Library of Mosul were told by an Islamic State official that “these books promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned,” a local man told AP on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from IS. [link]