By Zhang Dongfang
(ECNS) -- The international community should strengthen the consensus that disrupting cultural heritage is a war crime, said a Malaysian scholar during the Islam-Confucianism Civilizational Dialogue 2026 held in Beijing last week.
Nurul Ain Norman, a research fellow at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), made the remarks in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of "wiping out Iran's civilization" during the war waged against Iran.
At least 56 historical and cultural heritage sites in Iran have been severely damaged in the war waged by the U.S. and Israel, according to reports. Among them, the "Hall of Mirrors" at the Golestan Palace in Tehran was notably devastated, with repairs expected to take at least 15 years.
No single uncivilized act cannot can actually destroy a civilization, because civilizations are built by minds and knowledge, not by buildings and science and technology, and represents efforts of generations of people, Norman told China News Network.
Addressing the view that burning libraries or killing scholars could disrupt a civilization, she said such actions are actually impossible, any even produce a reverse effect.
"People will be more fueled by those kind of conditions and their spirit arises," she said.
She also stressed the continued importance of international laws and rules, including those established by UNESCO and the Hague Convention, in protecting Islamic cultural heritage during wars.
A bottom-up approach is equally important, which calls on people to strengthen the consensus that disrupting cultural heritage is a war crime, she said.
Speaking on the significance of civilizational dialogue, Norman said whether the war continues or stops today, dialogue must persist.
"It can strengthen understanding and compassion, thus contributing to ending the war," she said.
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