Afghans defy the Taliban to save ancient relics | Intellihub News

Afghans defy the Taliban to save ancient relics | Intellihub News:

One of the greatest historical tragedies that occurred in this conflict-ridden country is the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan – two enormous 1,700-year-old statues carved into the cliff face in the Bamiyan valley which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. But that is not all the Taliban destroyed. Over the last 35 years, the country’s National Museum has seen 70 percent of its collection destroyed or stolen.

Most of the destruction occurred in 2001 after Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar issued an edict against un-Islamic graven images, which means all idolatrous images of humans and animals. As a result, the Taliban took to the Bamiyan Buddhas with explosives, tanks, and anti-aircraft weapons, and stormed the National Museum in Kabul, smashing every artefact they could find bearing a human or animal likeness, which they considered sacrilegious. The ancient archaeological remains of Afghanistan were thrust into the cruel world of battles of ever-changing aims and alliances of national and international politics and religions.