ISIS continues to outdo itself in the field of barbarity. Yesterday, they saw fit to behead Khaled Assad, an 82-year-old scholar of antiquities because he refused to tell them where the treasures of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra were hidden. After beheading Assad, they strung up his body on a column in the town’s main square. Assad had been in charge of the artifacts in Palmyra for more than half a century.

Palmyra was captured by ISIS last May at which time Assad was taken captive. While ISIS has a tendency to destroy ancient artifacts because they deem them to be unIslamic, they also sell them to finance their operations. There was also speculation that there could be gold among the artifacts.

Well, from where I sit, Assad displayed considerable courage in refusing to give ISIS what it wanted. Had he done so the artifacts would have either been destroyed or sold. Assad laid down his life for his life’s work. A far more noble cause for which to die than the cause of the caliphate.