Rehman Chishti at the Kyiv Post:
Putin’s war machine understands the power of faith and has deliberately sought to destroy Ukrainian churches. Both sides have relied upon Christian themes during the fighting – Putin to justify the unjustifiable and Zelensky to inspire the Ukrainian nation to stand firm in the face of overwhelming odds. However, destroying churches appears to be part of Putin’s strategy, silencing sanctuaries as Christmas approaches. Intentionally targeting sacred sites constitutes war crimes.
Throughout history, armies and terrorists have used the destruction of historic sites to strike fear in opponents and erase their cultural patrimony. The harm to heritage sites has enormous implications for the targeted communities, whose history is lost. Religious sites play central roles in a community’s collective identity. Sacred sites preserve culture, history, and beliefs of individuals and nations, as well as provide places of worship and pilgrimage.
Evidence of Russian destruction of Ukrainian religious heritage is piling up, much like the rubble around destroyed religious sites. As of November 2022, UNESCO has verified damage to 92 sacred sites. While significant, Yale University’s Conflict Observatory and the Smithsonian Institution documented many more damaged religious sites in Ukraine. According to their research, Russia has damaged or destroyed 500 religious sites, roughly one-third of all cultural sites hit during the war.
While this list continues to grow, one thing is clear: Russian bombing churches because they don’t like Ukraine is blatantly illegal. International treaties signed by both Russia and Ukraine obligate them to “respect” and “safeguard” cultural property during conflict, including religious sites. The basic rule is simple: don’t destroy heritage sites unless militarily necessary during active hostilities.
Russia is doing the opposite. A recent report by Ukraine’s Institute for Religious Freedom found that “Russia is destroying the spiritual heritage of Ukraine with missile attacks, shelling, and looting of religious buildings without justification by military necessity”.
Glory to Ukraine!
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