THE TALIBAN STRIKES AGAIN
Once again they struck without warning, taking down an archaeological and religious treasure, this time another Buddha - in Pakistan. Heck, even if I had no side on the War on Terror, the archaeological destruction these monsters bring in their wake is enough to demand they be wiped off the face of the civilized world. Someone emailed me a week or two ago about the threat militant Islam is to the archaeological treasures of Egypt. What is wrong with these people? Back around 850 or so they burn the library of Alexandria, destroying the knowledge of the ancient world. Now they want to erase what is left of the past that they haven't already destroyed. I think there is something hideously almost cursed about something like this. The word EVIL is too good for them. The worst of it is our liberal appeasers are destroying our history and our past by demanding education be cleansed of anything that might resemble the truth. We all know the morons who don't know history are cursed to repeat it. I shudder for our future. Don't our young people have as much right to study our history as they do politically correct cultures? After reading excerpts from George Archibald's column, it is obvious the Democrats are incapable of dealing with these entities.
From Archaeology Magazine:
"...A radical cleric, Fazlullah has launched a Taliban-style campaign in the Swat Valley less than 100 miles northwest of the capital Islamabad. The leader of the banned Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law, he has called for a jihad against the government and his followers have bombed girls' schools and attacked video and CD stores. Fazlullah effectively blocked a UNESCO polio vaccination program because, according to one account, he said "it was a ploy by the West to sterilize Muslim babies." Of course, barbers cannot give haircuts in styles deemed un-Islamic and women must wear the burqa. In late October, open warfare between Fazlullah and government forces broke out. Hundreds have died, including captured security personnel and civilians who were beheaded by militants, and thousands of civilians have fled. Having fended off attacks by 2,500 Pakistani paramilitaries backed by helicopters, Fazlullah has not yet been dislodged from Swat.
The turmoil in Pakistan, especially the situation in Swat, has scholars concerned about the safety of the country's artistic and archaeological heritage. Relatively peaceful until recently, Swat was a tourist resort with spectacular mountain scenery. It also has a rich cultural heritage, especially Ghandaran art and Buddhist monuments. Adriana Proser, John H. Foster Curator of Traditional Asian Art, at the Asia Society in New York explains, "This area of what is today northern Pakistan was along a major route of the Silk Road. Gandhara was one of the major sites of the Kushan period (first through third centuries). The art of the Gandhara area is extremely important because it shows the impact of Hellenistic and Roman influence ushered in through the conquests of Alexander the Great. The stylistic impact of Gandharan Buddhist art traveled vast space and time, reaching places as far away China, Korea, and Japan. The Gandhara region became part of the Sasanian Empire (224-642), which preceded Islamic rule in Persia, and consequently the arts of the region also influenced artistic developments in the Middle East."
The consequences of prolonged political infighting in Pakistan, leaving Taliban-like militants unchecked may have dire consequences for this heritage. On Monday, October 8, dynamite was used to obliterate the face of a of 23-foot-high seventh-century seated Buddha carved into a rock face near the village of Jehanabad in the Swat Valley. The attack on the Buddha, according to police chief Mohammad Iqbal in an AFP story, "appears to be the work of the local militants who condemn these relics as being un-Islamic. It looks more like a symbolic attack to embarrass the government internationally." A witness in Jehanabad says that the armed group entered the village Monday evening and announced their intention to destroy the Buddha. According to Aqleem Khan, a provincial archaeology department official who spoke to Reuters, the militants drilled holes into the rock, filled them with dynamite, then set off the explosion Tuesday morning. Abdul Nasir, a curator at the Swat museum, known for its collection of Ghandaran sculptures, told AP that "Islam teaches us to respect other religions and faiths, but unfortunately some elements are disturbing the peace in the Swat valley."
"Any destruction of archeological and artistic sites such as this Gandharan Buddhist relief are an enormous loss for all who treasure historical records and significant and rare works of art," says the Asia Society's Proser. The attack recalls the March 2001 destruction of two giant Buddha statues in central Afghanistan by Taliban militants. "The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas was a political act in religious guise, greatly increasing the reputation of the Taliban among its target audience," says Archaeological Institute of America vice president John Russell. "The AIA calls on all governments, and particularly in this case the government of Pakistan, to protect our shared world heritage from groups that exploit heritage for political gain by destroying parts of our common past." Adds AIA president C. Brian Rose, "Destroying icons in the name of religion has unfortunately been a component of human behavior since antiquity. In areas of conflict, archaeological institutes throughout the world need to work in unison to document and protect cultural property that is at risk..."
The turmoil in Pakistan, especially the situation in Swat, has scholars concerned about the safety of the country's artistic and archaeological heritage. Relatively peaceful until recently, Swat was a tourist resort with spectacular mountain scenery. It also has a rich cultural heritage, especially Ghandaran art and Buddhist monuments. Adriana Proser, John H. Foster Curator of Traditional Asian Art, at the Asia Society in New York explains, "This area of what is today northern Pakistan was along a major route of the Silk Road. Gandhara was one of the major sites of the Kushan period (first through third centuries). The art of the Gandhara area is extremely important because it shows the impact of Hellenistic and Roman influence ushered in through the conquests of Alexander the Great. The stylistic impact of Gandharan Buddhist art traveled vast space and time, reaching places as far away China, Korea, and Japan. The Gandhara region became part of the Sasanian Empire (224-642), which preceded Islamic rule in Persia, and consequently the arts of the region also influenced artistic developments in the Middle East."
The consequences of prolonged political infighting in Pakistan, leaving Taliban-like militants unchecked may have dire consequences for this heritage. On Monday, October 8, dynamite was used to obliterate the face of a of 23-foot-high seventh-century seated Buddha carved into a rock face near the village of Jehanabad in the Swat Valley. The attack on the Buddha, according to police chief Mohammad Iqbal in an AFP story, "appears to be the work of the local militants who condemn these relics as being un-Islamic. It looks more like a symbolic attack to embarrass the government internationally." A witness in Jehanabad says that the armed group entered the village Monday evening and announced their intention to destroy the Buddha. According to Aqleem Khan, a provincial archaeology department official who spoke to Reuters, the militants drilled holes into the rock, filled them with dynamite, then set off the explosion Tuesday morning. Abdul Nasir, a curator at the Swat museum, known for its collection of Ghandaran sculptures, told AP that "Islam teaches us to respect other religions and faiths, but unfortunately some elements are disturbing the peace in the Swat valley."
"Any destruction of archeological and artistic sites such as this Gandharan Buddhist relief are an enormous loss for all who treasure historical records and significant and rare works of art," says the Asia Society's Proser. The attack recalls the March 2001 destruction of two giant Buddha statues in central Afghanistan by Taliban militants. "The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas was a political act in religious guise, greatly increasing the reputation of the Taliban among its target audience," says Archaeological Institute of America vice president John Russell. "The AIA calls on all governments, and particularly in this case the government of Pakistan, to protect our shared world heritage from groups that exploit heritage for political gain by destroying parts of our common past." Adds AIA president C. Brian Rose, "Destroying icons in the name of religion has unfortunately been a component of human behavior since antiquity. In areas of conflict, archaeological institutes throughout the world need to work in unison to document and protect cultural property that is at risk..."
WHERE'S HILLARY?
I like George Archibald, the Episcopalian, conservative, ex-columnist of the Washington Times. He has a fascinating column about Benazir Bhutto, adapted from a piece by Arnaud deBorchgrave.
'...“Mrs. Bhutto's e-mail added, ‘The fact that militants hold open meetings without fear of retaliation proves the Musharraf regime is totally inept, unwilling or colluding in their expansion.
"Our rapprochement talks with Musharraf have foundered in the quicksand of his failing promises. There is no move towards democracy. It's either back to dictatorship [1999] or back to a rigged election [2002]. Or Musharraf is replaced with a pliant interim government for two years run from behind the scene by the same military hard-liners. They claim in two years they can push NATO out of Afghanistan and replace president [Hamid] Karzai with one of their own, betting that the U.S. will be caught up in presidential elections for one year and it will take another year for the new administration to settle in.
“By way of conclusion, Mrs. Bhutto's e-mail said, "The situation is grim, the risks are high, but I have faith in the people to turn around the problem if we can get a real election." That horizon seems to be receding....
I say, go Benazir Bhutto, a proven leader in charge. Where is Hillary Clinton, supposed supporter of the world's women, when our country needs to support a global woman leader in one of the most important regions of the world? Nowhere to be found."
"Our rapprochement talks with Musharraf have foundered in the quicksand of his failing promises. There is no move towards democracy. It's either back to dictatorship [1999] or back to a rigged election [2002]. Or Musharraf is replaced with a pliant interim government for two years run from behind the scene by the same military hard-liners. They claim in two years they can push NATO out of Afghanistan and replace president [Hamid] Karzai with one of their own, betting that the U.S. will be caught up in presidential elections for one year and it will take another year for the new administration to settle in.
“By way of conclusion, Mrs. Bhutto's e-mail said, "The situation is grim, the risks are high, but I have faith in the people to turn around the problem if we can get a real election." That horizon seems to be receding....
I say, go Benazir Bhutto, a proven leader in charge. Where is Hillary Clinton, supposed supporter of the world's women, when our country needs to support a global woman leader in one of the most important regions of the world? Nowhere to be found."
THE TALIBAN THREAT
Let's face it, the extreme factions of Islam are a threat to all that is civilized. I know, you've been reading it all week.
From Douglas Farrah
"...There are plenty of signs of the damage already done. Some 200 members of government forces in the Swat Valley surrendered to the Taliban in recent days. In the Northwest Frontier Territory, a car bomb has killed a senior government official. Across the country troops are deployed to monitor, arrest and beat the democratic opposition.
How distracted is the army? It seems like plenty. Musharraf’s power play has discredited an already weak government, and my friends monitoring the situation say the command-and-control structure is in tatters.
If the primary concern now is arresting people, beating journalists, shutting down the media, confining political leaders to their homes and other activities that are manpower intensive but of little use in counter-terrorism, then we are in severe difficulty. The Taliban has shown its opportunistic streak before, and its leaders are smart enough to know opportunity when it smacks them upside the head.
This matters tremendously when the consequences of such chaos significantly up the odds that Islamist radicals can get their hands on nuclear weapons. It is not like the Taliban and al Qaeda are strangers to the ISI and military in Pakistan. And the Islamists have made it clear that acquiring these weapons is their highest priority.
They have relationships that go back decades, and a great deal of religious and political agreement built on fundamentalist, Wahhabist theology...."
How distracted is the army? It seems like plenty. Musharraf’s power play has discredited an already weak government, and my friends monitoring the situation say the command-and-control structure is in tatters.
If the primary concern now is arresting people, beating journalists, shutting down the media, confining political leaders to their homes and other activities that are manpower intensive but of little use in counter-terrorism, then we are in severe difficulty. The Taliban has shown its opportunistic streak before, and its leaders are smart enough to know opportunity when it smacks them upside the head.
This matters tremendously when the consequences of such chaos significantly up the odds that Islamist radicals can get their hands on nuclear weapons. It is not like the Taliban and al Qaeda are strangers to the ISI and military in Pakistan. And the Islamists have made it clear that acquiring these weapons is their highest priority.
They have relationships that go back decades, and a great deal of religious and political agreement built on fundamentalist, Wahhabist theology...."
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Stop the ACLU, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson's Website, Rosemary's Thoughts, Stix Blog, Right Truth, The Populist, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, Pursuing Holiness, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, The Uncooperative Radio Show!, Pirate's Cove, CommonSenseAmerica, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Church and State, 123beta, Adam's Blog, Grizzly Groundswell, Big Dog's Weblog, Cao's Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Nuke's, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Allie Is Wired, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Wolf Pangloss, High Desert Wanderer, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.">
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