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THE COLOSSAL BUDDHAS AT BAMIYAN THEIR INFLUENCE ON BUDDHIST SCULPTURE

BY J. HACKIN The Eastern Art vol.1:2, 1928.10, pp. 109-116

SEPARATION ANXIETY: THE CONSERVATION OF A 5th CENTURY BUDDHIST GANDHARAN MANUSCRIPT

This undated site gives an idea of the other treasures found in the Bamian Valley.  

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST: AFGHANISTAN

HERITAGE AT RISK

BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN & WESTERN PROPAGANDA  (An October 25, 1998 article by Jan Mohammad Butt 

    from the Frontier Post asserting that the Taliban will not destroy the Buddhas of Bâmiân.  The reasons 

    given:

  *   The Quran invites one to "travel in the world, and witness the signs of those that passed away before." These Buddhas are just such a "sign", and ones which reminds the Muslim people of Afghanistan that they were once Buddhist, and God blessed them with Islam.
  *   The Quran says how Pharoah's body was preserved in mummified form, like a statue, so that it could be a "sign" for coming generations. The Buddhas of Bamiyan have also been preserved by God for centuries, and their destruction would be a defiance of the Will of God.
  *  The Buddhas of Bamiyan are no longer being worshipped, so their status is not that of an idol, but a national treasure. The Taliban claim to be the guardians of the national heritage. They would lose all credibility as such if they were to blow up one of the last treasures of their Buddhist past.
  * The Quran tells us to respect others' religions, then they will respect yours ("Do not insult those they call upon besides Allah, for then they will insult Allah without knowledge...").

THE TALIBAN: A BIBLIOGRAPHY 

COMPILED BY

Mr Matthew Fielden, Ph.D. Candidate,

Development Studies Institute, London School of Economics

Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE TALIBAN

PLUNDERING ANCIENT HERITAGE

The New Delhi Organizer, September 17, 2000

AFGHAN RELICS TURN TO DUST AMID WAR AND NEGLECT 

Luke Hunt Ghazni, AFGHANISTAN

Middle East Times   (Egypt), Sept.  24, 1999

AGHAN CONFLICT THREATENS GIANT BUDDHAS

December 6, 1997

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN THE WORLD: SECTION 1: COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY

This document mentions the Bamian Buddhas in its 1997 report.  See also note 88.

NEWSLETTER NO. 5 (MAY 1997): NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN: THREAT TO BAMIYAN BUDDHAS - KABUL MUSEUM

 This report from the Circle of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies (London)

JOURNEY THROUGH AFGHANISTAN (Richard McGuire)

FULL TEXT ARTICLES ON BUDDHIST TOPICS (Center for Buddhist Studies, National Taiwan University)

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