Israel Demolishes Ancient Saint Peter Shrine in Southern Lebanon
When Israeli forces detonated explosives inside the Maqam Shamoun Al-Safa shrine in Chamaa last November, they wiped out nearly two millennia of shared history. This 1st-century CE site, revered by Christians as Saint Peter’s burial place and also venerated by Shia Muslims, survived Crusades and modern conflicts—until it was deliberately blown up. International law, including the 1954 Hague Convention and the Rome Statute, forbids targeting cultural heritage. Yet Israel, not party to the Hague treaty, carried out the demolition with precision charges. Eyewitness footage and reports from reputable monitors show the shrine reduced to rubble alongside a 900-year-old castle—and global leaders have been largely silent. This act is not collateral damage but a message that some histories matter less. Similar destruction across Gaza’s cemeteries and war memorials suggests a pattern that demands accountability. Lebanese communities have already begun piecing the shrine back together, a testament to local determination in the face of international inaction. The loss of Saint Peter’s shrine should alarm every believer and defender of heritage. If a historic church in Rome or Canterbury were leveled, the outcry would be immediate. We must extend that same urgency to protect sacred sites everywhere.
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