Article submitted by Amail Imani.

According to sources coming from Iran, the ancient city of Izeh, in Khuzestan Province, has reported that unskilled workers, without any official or proper permits and under false pretenses to repair and to restore, have damaged priceless ancient lion monuments that go back to thousands of years. They have caused damage to these artifacts and we suspect, it was intentional. We can say this almost with certainty based on the previous modus operandi of the Islamic regime’s contentious attitude towards any prehistoric Persian artifacts. Hence, it leaves us no doubt that this scheme could also be another well planned and well thought out plan to purge Persian history. Previously, these ancient lions have been broken or stolen across Iran, and the Cultural Heritage Organization has always been negligent and indifferent about this issue.

The Lions in Iran have been symbols of royalty, majesty and strength of the Persian Empire for thousands of years. It is part of the fabric and identity of Persian culture. A symbol of the greatness, of courage, and of power. Stone and Earth sculptures and pictures of lions on inscriptions, paintings, and even on the wall, can be seen in every city in Iran. These lions were built in our most historical periods, especially before Islam, and before the Islamic Revolution, most of them remain healthy because the Iranian people maintained great interest and an affinity towards the Lion symbol.

Historically and culturally speaking, the Lion and the Sun have existed as potent mythological symbols of Iran for thousands of years