- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,054
- 18,910
Although this story is not exactly related to Japan, I decided to post it. Sad, sad, sad........
Friday, March 2 4:49 PM SGT
Japan Voices Concern Over Afghanistan Statue Destruction
TOKYO (AP)--The Japanese government added its voice Friday to concerns being raised around the world over the destruction of all statues in Afghanistan, including two ancient Buddhist ones, by Taliban troops.
"The Japanese government is deeply concerned," said Kazuhiko Koshikawa, spokesman for Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. "Those statues are assets to all human beings."
"If they are ruined, it would be an immeasurable loss," he said. "The Japanese government hopes that Taliban will review such a decision and take appropriate measures."
Taliban troops armed with everything from tanks to rocket launchers began destroying all the statues in Afghanistan Thursday because the works of art have been deemed idolatrous.
Anger over the order has been particularly strong in Buddhist areas of Asia because the works include two huge Buddha statues carved into a cliff in Bamiyan province, about 125 kilometers west of the capital Kabul.
One of the statues is 53 meters high and dates to the 5th century; the other is 36 meters tall and dates to the 3rd century.
The call for restraint from Japan's government comes after Buddhist leaders here expressed similar concerns. Most Japanese consider themselves followers of both Buddhism and the native religion of Shinto.
Copyright ﾂｩ Yahoo! News
Friday, March 2 4:49 PM SGT
Japan Voices Concern Over Afghanistan Statue Destruction
TOKYO (AP)--The Japanese government added its voice Friday to concerns being raised around the world over the destruction of all statues in Afghanistan, including two ancient Buddhist ones, by Taliban troops.
"The Japanese government is deeply concerned," said Kazuhiko Koshikawa, spokesman for Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. "Those statues are assets to all human beings."
"If they are ruined, it would be an immeasurable loss," he said. "The Japanese government hopes that Taliban will review such a decision and take appropriate measures."
Taliban troops armed with everything from tanks to rocket launchers began destroying all the statues in Afghanistan Thursday because the works of art have been deemed idolatrous.
Anger over the order has been particularly strong in Buddhist areas of Asia because the works include two huge Buddha statues carved into a cliff in Bamiyan province, about 125 kilometers west of the capital Kabul.
One of the statues is 53 meters high and dates to the 5th century; the other is 36 meters tall and dates to the 3rd century.
The call for restraint from Japan's government comes after Buddhist leaders here expressed similar concerns. Most Japanese consider themselves followers of both Buddhism and the native religion of Shinto.
Copyright ﾂｩ Yahoo! News