Ishtartv.com - usembassy.gov
The United States today announced
a new program to provide assistance through the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) to the Syriac Heritage Museum, to help preserve and protect
the rich cultural heritage of the Syriac community. The assistance was
announced by U.S. Ambassador Matthew Tueller during a visit to the Syriac
Heritage Museum today. This assistance will establish a new digitization lab
and exhibitions in the museum, and support the preservation of ancient
manuscripts, artifacts, and cultural traditions.
Ambassador Tueller noted that
“Iraq’s diverse communities, including the Syriac community, have provided a
rich cultural history that is important not only to those who call this region
home, but to those all around the world whose faith is rooted in this region.”
The United States is working
together with the U.S.-based Antiquities Coalition to support local actors and
community leaders in Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as they document and
digitize aspects of community heritage, such as museum artifacts, manuscripts,
oral histories, and music, all of which had been targeted by ISIS. Digitizing
what remains will help preserve Iraq’s diverse cultural traditions and
contribute to greater reconstruction and recovery efforts for these persecuted
minority communities. It will also allow people from around the world to
appreciate these artifacts and stories and learn about their communities of
origin through virtual visits via the museum website.
The United States remains
committed to working with the Kurdistan Regional Government through entities
such as the Syriac Heritage Museum to support religious and ethnic minority
communities in Iraq. Since 2018, the United States has allocated more than $470
million throughout Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to support the recovery
and longevity of Iraq’s religious and ethnic minorities.
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