By Janaka Perera
Before destruction of the statue
Hewed into the living rock in the sixth and seventh centuries, these remarkable examples of Gandharan sculpture had stood as silent guardians in this lush valley for over a thousand years, ever-present reminders of a Buddhist population that had long since vanished. Obliterated by dynamite over several days in March 2001 by the Taliban, their loss is still, ten years later, a powerful and tragic reminder of the fragility of the world’s shared cultural heritage.
After destruction of the statue.
Even after Afghanistan became an Islamic country the Bamiyan statues survived for many centuries although they suffered some damage at certain periods of history. All that changed with the advent of the Taliban who had no tolerance for culture, art and education – let alone other religions. They banned music, photography, cinemas and television and educating women in schools.
The real culprits who paved the way for taking Afghanistan back to the stone age was not the Taliban but the Americans. Their one objective was push the Soviets out of Afghanistan and little else. So they gave arms to assorted groups of Afghan guerrillas out of whom the Taliban zealots emerged the strongest. After the Russians were forced to retreat, Washington virtually lost interest in the country, leaving it in a state of virtual anarchy. It was too late then prevent a Taliban victory.
Today, U.S. policy in Afghanistan has boomeranged on Washington, leading widespread condemnation.
If the Soviets had been allowed to stay they would have perhaps pulled out on their own accord after the collapse of the communist system. The opportunity would have then been open towards a gradual transformation of Afghanistan leaving little room for the Taliban to go on the rampage. The Soviets despite their indifference to religion seldom or never vandalised cultural monuments anywhere. In many instances they helped to preserve them.
In a documentary film I saw on in Colombo on the Bamiyan Buddhas made by a German movie maker, an Afghan Muslim villager near the site is shown mourning the destruction of the statues, saying that they were almost a part of their village, although obviously he had no religious sentiments concerning the statues.
Shortly after the fall of the Taliban, international teams began visiting the Bamiyan Valley. A decade after the Buddhas’ destruction, there are still conservation efforts underway at the site as well as ongoing discussions about the future of the empty niches. The possibility of restoring one or more of the statues remains a topic of debate.
Interesting coincidence. Yesterday, I watched a DVD titled “Buddha Collapsed out of Shame” (English translation), a film produced in Iran, about the flight of girls in Afghanistan who live in caves next to these statues, a moving story, that commenced with the blowing of a statue carved into the rock face to the cheering crowd of Taliban. This could be a good reminder to those believing in “Continuity of Uncertainty” to be vary of the consequences of their deeds. Being a Buddhist country before the occupation by Arabic invaders when their own lands in Arabia became arid by reckless destruction, they found sanctuary in Afghanistan by slaughtering the locals who thought that they would be protected by their triple gems, according to their belief system.
There is also a good piece of information for those living on lands belonging to others that they will never find peace in others’ land as found by Arabs in Afghanistan, but eternal suffering, while turning that part of planet to another desert. While wondering how long this kind of migration by invasion could go on, I see no reason to be compassionate about criminals of a bygone era, letting descendants to inherit their baggage carrying to the eternity. A bigger and more awesome fireworks followed this dastardly act of beating the dead. What kind of mentality they could have to do such things? Imagine the danger they pose. Are we already late to act?
These invaders, descendants of true Ali Babas, being Buddhists some ages ago, It is not surprising to find how they behave when they change the pillows to find the cure for self-made disease of wondering about the next life than focusing on the current one. Some say that the trait making blue eyes were originated from around that part of the world. Imagine the kind of night riders living in the dark doing their traditional Ali Baba type job for so long to have even their eyes adopting to their way of life.
Will those building symbols of their current faith will do what Arabs do after taking up another? Some Christians are already showing such signs by the way they talk of pre-Christian life. I hope Sinhale will be the only exception, that would revert to its original way of life. It is also a reminder to those giving life to symbolism that ancient Sinhala people did not engage in such acts as they were very aware of them becoming targets of humiliation.
In another lecture of mine, I kept the best part to be the last. Anyone who goes to Northern part of Sinhale would find similar despicable destruction carried out by Tamil invaders, who also claim that they migrated from an arid part of Arabia during ancient times, of course, in addition to claiming that every country that got people with a dark skin as their original homelands. Someday, they will hype this up to claim that whole planet belongs to them and all others are aliens arrived from another planet, if we let this kind of despicable criminals to spread venom destroying the beautiful planet by reckless destruction, either in favour or against any faith.
By: Priyantha Abeywickrama on March 11, 2011
at 2:42 pm