Taliban and the huge Buddas

[tanglangman]

I suppose this is only a loosely realted topic for this forum but what the hell.

What are people's opinions on the destruction of all religious artifacts (including the massive Buddahs carved into a mountain) in Afganistan by the ruling Taliban authority?

Relax. They can always carve some more big buddas from the mountain. It's not like it's a big deal or anything. It's just some rocks.

[tanglangman]

It's not just the big buddahs it's all relgious symbols. I hear they were even burning cows. But hey, we in the UK can't really comment on that we doing it to the sheep too!!!

[Kung Lek]

it's their country.
they use islamic law which forbids graven imagery of any kind so away the statues go.

I'm sure the Buddha wouldn't mind, as they stated "they are only breaking stones".

they were very cool though and it would've been nice had they moved the statues or something.
maybe the british museum could've bought them and reinstalled them elsewhere.
I wonder why nobody made the offer?

peace

Kung Lek

[premier]

Those buddha statues have enormous historical value. and not to mention what they mean to all the buddhist around the world.

Why don't we build a highway over Mecca and ask how the Taliban like that?

[tanglangman]

Some Museum in the States offered to buy them ( I think it was in New York) and they refused.

What defines a graven image?

I just don't understand why they felt the need to destroy the statues.

Just because you govern the country it doesn't give you the right to do anything you want to, does it?

[BeiKongHui]

India offered to relocate the statues if I remember correctly. The Taliban is following in the footsteps of all facsists and dictators...erase the parts of history & culture that doesn't fit your agenda. I wish people would try to become more aware of the situation in Afghanistan it's a stellar example of how horrific a theocracy can be.

"Gong Sao Mo Gong Ching Sao"
- When you talk with the hands,
best not to speak of polite hands.

[BIU JI]

The New Zealanders have been doing it to their sheep for years. Sorru wrong thread
Is this the Beastiality Corner?
About the statues I know only a little, caught abit on the tele, why are they doing this?

[tanglangman]

The offical response is that they are ridding the country of graven images as per Islamic law.

The real reason is anyone's guess but as BeiKongHui said "they are following in the footsteps of all facsists and dictators...erase the parts of history & culture that doesn't fit your agenda" this seems more than likely.

[Stranger]

Those statues were more than just rocks, even if you do not respect the religion they represent. As a historian, I look at them as pieces of regional culutre that stood for centuries unitl the bloody Taliban and their warped ideals came to power. These people don't even represent the interests of the entire Muslim population of Afghanistan. They are ignorant *******s with no respect for history (the destruction of the statues) or the present (look at their track record on handling their female population). This is not my opinion alone, most Islamic nations voiced their disapproval at this callous act.
The only comfort is that the Taliban will fall, like all petty tyrannts must.

[monkey mind]

According to comments made by Muslim scholars on H-ASIA (a scholarly historical email discussion forum), the Taliban's use of Islamic law as a justification for the destruction of the statues is shaky at best. I don't know the details & OI'm not Muslim myself, but I just wanted to point out that this is not a clear cut issue within the greater Muslim community. In fact, the Egyptian gov't came out publicly against the destruction.

Also, there was NY Times interview with a Taliban representative in which he claimed that international groups did in fact offer money to help preserve the statues, but refused to give money to help the poor and hungry of Afghanistan. It was anger at this arrogance, according to the spokesman, that was the impetus for destroying the statues.

Of course, from a Buddhist point of view all things are transitory and attachments to material objects can only lead to suffering. However, from a cultural/historical point of view, it is sad that we've lost a remarkable piece of our collective human heritage. But the list of tragedies in Afghanistan today contains much more than this unfortunate episode. Just my two cents.

[MaFuYee]

find the buddha, kill the buddha.

[MaFuYee]

kodukan,

ditto for mt. rushmore.
ditto for the pyramids
ditto for your family's tombstones.
etc. etc.

[lordabu]

Who cares they are only statues. A buddhist should never worry about such petty things - it makes no difference to their path.

though id like to see what the Talibans would say if a rebel cult decided to destroy mosques claiming it was the 'cult/religion' law to rid places of worship.... they would be being just as fair as the Talibans were...

Lordabu

[Stranger]

lordabu,
You are assuming that if the "true Buddhists" don't care and the Taliban don't want them, than it is OK to destroy them. The point is that they were once important enough for many people to work many hours with the goal of seeing them stand. It is ignorant to walk up and destroy it. It is a human achievement, a piece of art history, and gives us insight into how people embraced Buddhism in the region rather than an ideal Buddhism that evidently was not there. "True Buddhists" might not care about the statues but the Buddhists who once lived in Afghanistan apparently did. At the least, they should have been moved if the offer was made. The Taliban can ***** about how it is arrogant to pay for statues when their people are denied aid, but the bottom line is if you offered the Taliban a billion dollars of food or a billion dollars of weaponry, I would be shocked if they didn't take the latter.... Thugs, devoid of manner or conscience! :mad: