Whether you call them ISIS, ISIL, Islamic State, Da’ash, or just terrorists, the Islamic Group claiming to have found a new caliphate in Syria and Iraq has been on a mission of cultural annihilation since it first began sweeping across the Middle East. Their reason for this destructive behavior is their strict adherence to Salafism, which places monotheism above all polytheistic religions. ISIL believes that these temples, cities, and archaeological sites should be destroyed in accordance with their perverted beliefs.
