Lesson 4: Cultural heritage and human rights
Case studies
A shrine in the Libyan capital Tripoli venerating a Sufi Muslim saint was partly destroyed
Photo by Nader Elgady
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/12/07/libya-new-wave-attacks-against-sufi-sites
The destruction of cultural and religious sites, artefacts and manuscripts during the occupation of northern Mali in 2012 and early 2013, accompanied by a ban on music and restrictions on women’s dress, with the deliberate and asserted intention to impose a world view.
Source: https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/mali592ang.pdf
Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatstatsin Karmir Avetaran Armenian Church, Tbilisi, Georgia
The church was built in 1735. During the Soviet period, the church was used as a storage. In 1989 the earthquake damaged the church and the dome collapsed. The church has the status of cultural heritage; however, it is significantly damaged. This example demonstrates that States often negligent to protect
the cultural cites of ethnic minorities.
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ 2021 Framework Programme of the European Union
