 A bomb detonated by pro-Taliban militants on Tuesday damaged a rock engraved with BuddhaÂ’s images in Swat district, police said. The incident recalled the internationally condemned destruction of the huge Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime in 2001. | The picture here is of the Bamiyan Buddhas being boomed by the Talibs. I found the pic at this link, which quotes part of an NYT article titled: Why Attack Art? Its Role Is To Be Helpful. The article itself is behind the pay firewall. |
Shrapnel from the blast in the town of Malam Jabba hit the rock, but didn’t damage the Buddhist images, local police chief Mohammad Iqbal told AFP. “It appears to be the work of the local militants who condemn these relics as being un-Islamic,” Iqbal said. “It looks more like a symbolic attack to embarrass the government internationally.” The Northern Areas are known for Buddhist heritage and archaeological sites that attract a large number of religious tourists, mainly from Buddhist countries, despite security fears. |