TEHRAN – A group of experts at Iranian museums have condemned Israel’s recent military strike against Iran, describing the attack as a serious violation of international law and an attack on humanity’s shared cultural heritage.
A group of curators, historians and heritage experts from various institutions across Iran issued a joint statement denounced what was called threatening cultural institutions in the Israeli military campaign that began on June 13th.
“These attack not only on physical structures, but on the identity, memory and future of civilizations,” the group said.
Several museums across Iran have suspended operations or are operating under the constant threat of air strikes, according to the statement. Experts have reported that valuable cultural assets representing centuries-old dialogues between civilizations are under threat of being damaged or destroyed.
They warned that the 1954 Hague Convention was to protect cultural property in the event of armed conflict, such actions could constitute war crimes.
The statement was not only accusation of the strike itself, but also a criticism of international silence.
The global institution’s omissions are morally vulnerable, the group said it is calling on UNESCO, ICOM, ICOMOS, ICCROM and civil society to publicly condemn civil society around the world to report on attacks and for accountability.
Museum experts framed the response not only as a national concern, but as a global concern. “We speak not only as Iranians, but as guardians of collective human heritage,” they said. “Cultural heritage belongs to all people. To destroy it is to destroy a part of humanity.”
Their message also includes warnings against framing conflicts in neutral terms, claiming that such an approach runs the risk of diluting the invader’s liability. Without a clear acknowledging who is committing the violence, the appeal for peace lacks moral clarity, the statement said.
In related developments, the International Museum Council (ICOM) also issued another statement expressing concern over the increased risk to local cultural institutions and museum staff. While maintaining a balanced tone, ICOM reiterated the importance of adhering to international protocols to protect cultural property during conflict. However, Iranian experts criticized such neutrality as not enough to face a deliberate attack.
They closed their appeal with a call for global solidarity and ethical responsibility. Museums are not just homes from the past, they wrote. “They are beacons for the future. To protect them is to protect our shared humanity.”
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