By E on Saturday, March 3, 2001 - 06:54 pm:
On the other hand, the art that they're destroying was created in the name of religion. So sometimes it evens out.
By kazz on Sunday, March 4, 2001 - 05:46 pm:
It's not just religious art they are destroying. It's any art that doesn't agree with their interpretation of muslim beliefs, in particular the one that forbids the recreation of the image of man. The buddhist statues are just the biggest, and some of the oldest, examples of what will be lost.
By Mark Asher on Monday, March 5, 2001 - 12:34 am:
It's just a real waste. Other nations and museums would have gladly removed them if they had been given the chance.
Afghanistan doesn't have a lot of draw for tourist trade; it will have even less now.
By Anders Hallin on Monday, March 5, 2001 - 12:15 pm:
Mark wrote:
"Afghanistan doesn't have a lot of draw for
tourist trade; it will have even less now."
I hope you mean that it doesn't have much of a
draw because of the current government, because
when it comes to cultural locations, history and
so on Afghanistan is a hotbed. I mean, it's
located in an area that has been affected by
Alexander the Great, the Mongols and a lot of
other truly interesting civilizations.
By Robert Mayer on Monday, March 5, 2001 - 01:46 pm:
I rather suspect that Mark's point is, no one in their right mind would plan a trip to Afghanistan as long as the Taliban are in power (or for that matter, as long as rockets continue to fall from the skies more often than raindrops). The area is of course very rich in history and culture--or was, until the zealots started dismantling it all. Pretty soon it'll be a rich, cultural center like Flanders, circa 1917.