Afghanistan's Taliban orders destruction of statues

[Guest guest]

Hare

Krsna. I urge everyone on the Vedic Culture list to immediately

contact the Afghan embassies in your respective countries and protest

this demonic act of destroying sacred Buddha images (The Buddha is

recognized by all Vaisnavas and Hindus as an avatara of Narayana).

Thank you.

Afghanistan's Taliban orders destruction of statues

February 26, 2001

Web posted at: 10:45 AM EST (1545 GMT)

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have ordered the

destruction of all the country's statues, including the world's tallest

standing Buddha.

 

The order came from the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar,

who issued an edict declaring statues -- including ancient pre-Islamic

figures -- an insult to Islam.

 

"Because God is one God and these statues are there to be worshipped

and that is wrong. They should be destroyed so that they are not

worshipped now or in the future," Omar said in his edict, published

by the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency.

 

The edict comes as an international delegation is in Kabul meeting with

Taliban leaders to try to preserve Afghanistan's heritage. Among the

delegation are the Italian and Greek ambassadors to neighboring Pakistan.

There was no immediate comment from the delegation to the Taliban

leader's newest order, nor was it immediately clear what prompted the

edict.

Home to world's tallest Buddha

Afghanistan's ancient Buddhas are located in Bamiyan, about

150 kilometers (90 miles) west of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

One Buddha statue, measuring 53 meters (175 feet), is the world's tallest

standing Buddha. A smaller one stands beside it at 37 meters (120 feet).

The two statues, which have been damaged in fighting in the area, were

carved out of the Afghan mountainside in the fifth century.

In addition to the giant Buddhas, a treasure trove of pre-Islam artifacts

are contained in Afghanistan's museum.

Much of the museum was destroyed in the bitter fighting between rival

Islamic factions, including Rabbanis, between 1992 and 1996, when the

Taliban took control.

Many of the artifacts were stolen and sold on the open market. Some have

appeared in museums around the world.

Harsh brand of Islamic law

The tallest of the two giant Buddhas has already been damaged

by zealous Taliban soldiers who fired rocket propelled grenades at it.

There have been reports that the faces of the Buddhas have been

disfigured. Representations of faces are forbidden in Islam, according to

the Taliban. The Taliban espouse a harsh brand of Islamic law that bans

most forms of light entertainment and all photography, and requires men

to wear beards in keeping with the fashion of Islam's prophet Mohammed.

The Taliban also require everyone to pray five times a day, as required

in the Muslim holy book the Koran. Many of the Taliban's edicts are

directed against women, who are required to wear all-enveloping clothing

and to travel with a male relative.

Women are not allowed to work and schooling for girls beyond eight years

old is not allowed, although the Taliban say they will allow it when

fighting ends. The Taliban rule roughly 95 percent of the country and the

opposition, led by ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani, holds the

remaining five percent.

The Associated Press contributed to

this report.

------------------

Frank Morales, M.A.

Languages and Cultures of Asia

University of Wisconsin-Madison

fmorale1 (AT) students (DOT) wisc.edu

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