Readers React: Getty Trust chief: Islamic State attack on Iraq museum ‘heartbreaking’

To the editor: The tragic destruction of antiquities at the museum in Mosul, Iraq, demands our outrage. As civilized people, we can’t allow the destruction of the world’s cultural heritage by a small group of fanatics. (“Islamic State says it destroyed ancient artifacts in Mosul, Iraq,” Feb. 26)

I join my colleagues in the international community in condemning the heartbreaking destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq. This is a tragedy not just for the Mosul museum and the people of Iraq, but also for the world, which has been deeply enriched by the experience of these objects, and which is diminished by their loss.

James Cuno, Los Angeles

The writer is president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

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