Kamal Hyder: Destruction of Afghan Buddhas

larger      larger   CNN obtained these exclusive photos of the destruction of Buddhist statues in Afghanistan, taken by an Afghani free-lance photographer at the scene

March 12, 2001
Web posted at: 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 GMT)

Kamal Hyder is a stringer for CNN who is covering the story of the Afghan Buddhas.

Q: Why did the Taleban think it was important to destroy all the Buddhas?

Hyder: First, people must understand that most of Afghanistan’s architectural heritage had been plundered during the anarchy that plagued Afghanistan after the withdrawal of Russian forces in 1989.

After the Taleban had performed repairs on the country’s museums and reopened them, the Afghani culture minister and the vice and virtue minister discussed what to do about the country’s remaining archeological heritage. Both these ministries concluded that all of Afghanistan’s historical heritage must be preserved except for idols that were deemed un-Islamic.

The proposals were then sent to the Supreme Court of Afghanistan, which consulted extensively with the Ulema, a college of religious leaders. The Ulema enforced the opinion that all idols, which are generally considered un-Islamic, must be destroyed. Once the Supreme Court passed the verdict to this effect, it was sent to the supreme leader of the Taleban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, who endorsed it and announced a religious edict on Radio Shariat (official Taleban radio).

Q: Other Islamic countries, such as Egypt, value their architectural heritage and work very hard to preserve them. Is the destruction of these Buddhas going to cause some type of rift among Islamic countries?

Hyder: Most Islamic countries are seeing a fundamentalist revival. Autocratic leadership has strengthened the hands of radical elements that had been forced under ground. One example is the Islamic brotherhood in Egypt and several Islamic groups in Central Asia.

ALSO Photos document destruction of Afghan Buddhas   RESOURCES UNESCO - Thumbnails Of Threatened Afghan Greco-Buddhist Art     MESSAGE BOARD Afghan statues    GALLERY Afghanistan's Buddhist heritage Afghanistan under the Taleban

In Egypt, several hard-line Islamics feel the need to reassert the role of Islamic Shariah. The Taleban foreign minister himself referred to certain Islamics in Egypt who share the Taleban view on the destruction of unIslamic heritage, especially idols. It remains to be seen whether such feelings would threaten the archeological heritage of several Islamic countries.

Q: Although no direct threats have been made against archeological treasures such as Egypt has, is there a concern that some countries will need to move their treasures to America, Britain, and other countries?

Hyder: At the moment, most Islamic countries do not see an inevitable threat to the archeological heritage, primarily because of relative prosperity and dependence on international assistance. Afghanistan is different. Here, 23 years of war has left the country in shambles and most of its population deprived. Poor economic conditions and the lack of democratic leadership will continue to create instability in most Islamic as well as Third World countries.

The destruction of the Buddhas is not the first destruction resulting from fundamentalism. For example, religious fervor is running high in India, and led to the destruction of the Barbri mosque in Ayodhya, India, in 1992.

Q: Did the Taleban consider that the Buddhas might have had an economic value for the country as far as attracting tourists and archeologists?

Hyder: Because of several decades of war, Afghanistan remained isolated from the international community and economically deprived. Any potential for tourism that might have existed was lost.

Q: Did the Taleban consider selling the Buddhas and allowing people to try to salvage them or at least remove a few of them?

Hyder: The Taleban believe in a strict interpretation of Islam, which forbids the trade of idols. Mullah Mohammad Omar told a large congregation at prayer that they should be remembered as the breakers of idols, not the sellers of idols.

Q: How are people in Afghanistan reacting to the international uproar over the Buddhas' destruction?

Hyder: One young man told me, "I can't believe that people suddenly remember and feel bad about the Buddhas when they have been there such a long time. I don't remember people caring about them when the fighting was going on." I found that an interesting observation from a young man on the streets of Qandahar.

U.N. chief tries to save statues
March 10, 2001
Pakistan, Japan step into Buddha row
March 9, 2001
Analysis: Buddhas' fate signifies Taleban divisions
March 2, 2001

Society for the Preservation of Aghanistan's Cultural Heritage
United Nations
Taleban

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