Libraries remain targeted symbols of cultural power in modern conflicts.

Evidence

On the night of 31 May 1981, the library was razed to the ground by a Sinhalese crowd, one of the principal examples of ethnic biblioclasm of the twentieth century. … The entire collection of 1.5 million books and manuscripts was consumed in the resulting inferno. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 35

Categorization

• XREF: Modern biblioclasm at Jaffna and Sarajevo parallels the monastery-burning in the German Peasants’ War — the same symbolism of cultural insurgency. — connects to: Libraries were active participants in war, not just victims — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 736; Libraries functioned as instruments of nationalizing contested border regions — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 739; Neglect destroyed more ancient libraries than war or malice did — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 58 (+1 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 35

Broader Connections

• Neglect destroyed more ancient libraries than war or malice did #complicates (0.70) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 58