A Protest of Olympic Proportions

Beijing has spent billions of dollars over the last eight years to prepare for the Olympics. The recent outbreak of violence and unrest in Tibet and the crackdown by the Chinese there, coupled with the opportunity for organizations and various rights groups to finally have there views heard. When the Olympic torch passed through Paris, it was extinguished several times. In San Francisco protesters scaled the cables on the golden gate bridge in order to post signs. The torch relay continues al though several stops had to be cancelled or changed. This reminded me of the movie "kundun" and how the Dalai Lama was forced into exile. It would be incredibly uplifting experience for the Tibetans and Buddhists in general to have their religious leader restored to his homeland. 

Say goodbye to the Buddhas of Bamyan

From 1996 to 2001 the Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan. In 2001 they were removed from power through military effort by both Northern Alliance and NATO countries and now engage in guerrilla warfare. They were only acknowledged with diplomatic recognition by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They enforced an extremely strict interpretation of Sharia laws, which were exceptionally confining to women. Violation of the Taliban laws often resulted in ones execution. 

Among the Taliban's numerous indiscretions is the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan, two towering statues of Buddha carved into the cliffside. At 125 and 175 feet tall and over 2,500 years old this act was condemned by nearly the entire remainder of the world. The reasons for the demolition were not immediately clear. Although a decree was made several years later declaring that all representations of humans and idols were to be destroyed since idol worship violates Islamic law. It also seemed to be a part of the Taliban's efforts to eradicate any "un-islamic" portions of society. All such imagery was soon prohibited, including music, sports, and television. 

Whether or not they agreed with the religious aspects of the statues it really bothers me that they also had no regard for the history behind them. They were a group that used religion to back up their radical actions. This is the type of thing that gives religion a bad name. What gives them the right not to allow women to be educated or express themselves, or freedom of religion, or the existence of ancient artwork?

If you want more information about the Taliban go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban