Sana'a - Saba:
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has condemned the mercenary government's decision to extend the loan of 80 Yemeni artifacts to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art for an additional two years.
In a statement, the ministry expressed strong disapproval, stating that this extension reflects the chaos and anarchy in the occupied governorates, where there is no safe zone to protect Yemen's invaluable antiquities.
The ministry also highlighted the rampant corruption within the mercenary government, accusing its members of exploiting Yemen's cultural heritage for personal profit, further undermining the country’s cultural identity.
The ministry emphasized that these artifacts, which had previously been recovered after being smuggled out of Yemen, are national treasures and should not be treated as commodities for trade.
It criticized the mercenary government’s attempt to justify this move as international cooperation in preserving Yemen's heritage, pointing out that such actions merely cover up the failure to protect these treasures locally. Many of the pieces in question were stolen during the work of the American mission in Yemen and had been listed among looted Yemeni antiquities.
The ministry condemned the looting and destruction of important archaeological sites, including Awam Archaeological Temple, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The ministry noted that, despite these losses, it continues to work with relevant authorities to preserve and document Yemeni cultural heritage and combat the theft and smuggling of antiquities.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism also announced its intention to take legal action against the countries involved in these criminal acts, both locally and internationally, stressing that Yemen’s cultural heritage belongs to all humanity and future generations.
It called on national, Arab, and international organizations to take concrete steps to protect and recover Yemen’s looted artifacts, emphasizing that the preservation of cultural heritage is a shared responsibility.
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