Sunday, May 11, 2008

Bye Bye Buddhas

The great Buddhas of Bamian (Bamiyan), built in the 6th Century at an elevation of 8,202 ft, were dynamited by the Taliban in 2001.
Speaking of atrocities we inflict on each other and justify because of tradition, religion, and/or political or philosophical dogma, these statues are mentioned in A Thousand Splendid Suns By Khaled Hosseini which Virg highly recommends. It’s a good but disturbing read. It vividly portrays both the horrors we inflict on each other and our compassion.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's such a shame that this great Buddha statues were blown up. They truly where part of a great history

Abuelita said...

Great book. Also by the same author, Kite Runner. I recommend both. Reading whatever we want to read is truly a gift.