Iraq museums looting are acts of barbarity, UMA chief

Secretary general of the Maghreb Union (UMA), Habib Boulares, branded the looting of Baghdad Museums an act of barbarity.

In a statement to MAP, on the sidelines of the symposium on "Islam and Peace" held in Tunis, Boulares, Tunisian former minister of culture, said unlike Iraq's cultural wealth, "economic objectives and the ministry of oil have been safeguarded." He stressed that looting and bombing museums are an attempt to destroy the foundations of Iraq's identity.

"The culture of peace cannot co-exist with the culture of ignorance and obscurantism," UMA secretary general told the conference. "Those who give a distorted idea of Islam are a minority" he added. Peace is a must. Without it, science, culture and knowledge can not develop or spread, he said, adding that "spreading the culture of peace begins by the disseminating among our peoples a true culture of religion, which is contrary to charlatanism and fanaticism. "The peace of culture also means respecting the other, the freedom of expression and the right to knowledge."