In case any reader here was ever wondering about the destruction of the large Buddha statues dating from perhaps the 6th century AD in a beautiful valley in central Afghanistan, here is partial background.
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Turkish woman posts the below on X, apparently approvingly
However, i have heard the same story said that it was the Japanese who tried to stop the destruction. Neither version makes much sense, but why would the Communist Chinese CARE ??
They recently ordered the Afghan govt to hand over Uighur [Muslims from Xinjiang province, formerly Sinkiang in the days of the Great Game] leaders who were being protected in Afghanistan from persecution by the Chinese Communists who would surely kill them if ever returned to China.
So why would these same atheists have been concerned about the preservation of Buddhist artifacts in early 2001 when the destruction occurred ?
There wasn't too much advance warning, I believe, though I could be wrong. Not more than two to three months.
There is no historical mention of either Japan or China interceding to stop the demolition of the 2 gigantic Buddhas of Bamiyan.
It was mainly the Western countries who were upset.
But no Europeans or Americans offered to purchase the statues, at least not that was made public !
Mullah Omar [pictured above], the 1st Amir of the IEA, Taliban's official name, WAS documented as saying sarcastically that the Westerners don't care about the Afghan people and their welfare, but are concerned only about inanimate objects <[some description like this].
This shrewd remark couldn't have been truer !!
I am quite sure Mullah Omar NEVER made such a bombastic statement as is quoted below.
Especially not "and make the whole world watch it"
That is out of character, as Mullah Omar was a semi-recluse who was highly ascetic, thus humble. He would never boast at all, especially not this way, sounding like maybe Qaddafi or some crazy leader like that.
Then WHY were they destroyed ? It's mysterious, but Afghanistan historian Nancy Hatch Dupree told a European reporter that "It was the Arabs" who insisted upon it. That means : the Wahhabis : Saudis, Gulf Arabs, who abhorred any such representations. If this explanation is true, which it may not be, then it may have been because only Saudi Arabia, UAE and Pakistan recognized the 1st IEA [Taliban] govt, thus MAY have had some sway, but who knows really ?
"The Taliban rejecting China's offer to sell them the Buddha Statues and making the whole world watch their destruction.
"I will destroy that stone idol and make the world watch it. History will remember me not as the idol seller Omar, but as the IDOL BREAKER OMAR." Mullah Omar (r.a)"
https://x.com/Esma_i_Husna/status/2037548950211744105
Afghanistan today
Afghanistan today
Re: Afghanistan today
Are we seeing the same phenomenon with the Afghan opposition groups as with the Pahlavi Iranian monarchist faction : alliance with is not real ?
Note the headwear of this effeminate looking man who listens to a very controversial "women's rights advocate", Fauzia Koofi, one of the exiled American-backed Republic figures [way overrated too !]
A month or two ago, another one of these women so-called politicians, also vastly over-celebrated by the Western media for having been briefly a mayor of a small provincial Afghan town, Zarifa Ghafari, caused huge outcry amongst nearly all Afghans by attending a conference billed as "women and tech" in is not real itself.
Ghafari's posts on X about the so-called conference - most likely merely a front for a recruitment effort - were roundly condemned.
The only person speaking in favor of this outrageous deed being - her husband, though most people didn't know his name.
So it looked like Afghan men are agreeing with her "bold stance", when in fact virtually NONE do.
However, the trend among Afghan opposition groups seems to be similar to that of the Pahlavi supporters outside Iran. Reza Pahlavi is openly condemned as a Mossad agent by most objective observers.
This morning, I saw a clip in which John Kiriakou stated this as a FACT. I don't recommend it, however, as he has acquired the vice of constant swearing.
So, is Fawzia Koofi heading down the same exact road to Mossaddom ?
"Fawzia bitterly shares her youthful stories with her close Jewish friend."
https://x.com/Omari__Official/status/20 ... 1373798564
Re: Afghanistan today
Small example of the corruption under the US-sponsored Kabul regime 2002-2021
What seems unusual here is the official American acknowledgment of the corruption of the relatives of its own puppet[s]
Who was Mahmoud Karzai ?
"Mahmoud Karzai was the older brother of Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan. A prominent businessman and U.S. citizen, Mahmoud was a significant figure in Afghan reconstruction and investment, particularly within the banking and real estate sectors during his brother's presidency.
Key details regarding their relationship:
Family Role: Mahmoud was one of the brothers of the former president, active in business and investing in Afghanistan's growth after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
Businessman: He was a major shareholder in Kabul Bank and involved in various business dealings, which brought scrutiny.
Political Context: Critics often suggested Mahmoud and his brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, leveraged their family ties to the president to build influence, a claim Mahmoud denied."
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"The U.S. DOJ says millions were stolen from Kabul Bank in 2010 by Mahmood Karzai & brother of the late Qasim Fahim.And yet, somehow, Karzai still won’t spring for a trip to Turkey for a hair transplant he’s out here in Kandahar wearing what looks like a discount rug on his head."
https://x.com/Samurai19801/status/2044764737699729742
Re: Afghanistan today
In contrast,
"The Emirate, under the leadership of a great Amir, enjoys unity and strength among all the [armed forces] and the people, and no one can divide this cohesion or remove this unity."
https://x.com/A_A_Hashmi/status/2044736169997734048
Re: Afghanistan today
"Lapis lazuli has one of the longest, most geographically expansive histories of any gemstone.
The oldest known mines, Sar‑e‑Sang in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, were already active by the 7th millennium BC, supplying a deep blue stone so rare that Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures treated it as sacred.
From these mountains, lapis traveled astonishing distances: to the Indus Valley, where beads appear in early burials; to Mesopotamia, where it entered elite ritual objects as early as the Ubaid period (c. 4900–4000 BC); and to Egypt, where it symbolized the heavens and resurrection.
Its scarcity, intense color, and association with the divine made it more valuable than gold in many ancient societies.
By the mid‑ to late Bronze Age (c. 2000–1000 BC), lapis lazuli had become a cornerstone of long‑distance trade linking Central Asia, the Near East, and North Africa.
Caravans carried it westward along land routes through Iran and Mesopotamia, while later maritime routes expanded its reach.
Afghan lapis dominated the ancient world because of its unmatched quality, and its movement across continents reflected shifting political alliances, trade networks, and religious symbolism.
By the Middle Ages, Europe imported lapis to grind into ultramarine, the most prized blue pigment of Renaissance art, further extending its cultural legacy.
According to scholars, Lapis Lazuli didn’t just travel as a gemstone, it quietly shaped global knowledge systems.
Medieval scribes used ultramarine (ground lapis) to illuminate only the most sacred passages, but even more surprising, recent chemical analysis shows that tiny lapis particles were found in the dental plaque of a 12th‑century German nun.
Archaeologists have found that Bronze Age artisans sometimes faked lapis lazuli by mixing cheaper blue minerals with resins or glass, because real Afghan lapis was so scarce and politically controlled.
These forgeries weren’t crude, they were sophisticated enough that modern lab analysis is often needed to tell them apart.
The existence of “counterfeit lapis” 4,000 years ago shows just how powerful and coveted the stone was, and how early humans developed global‑trade‑level fraud to imitate it."
https://x.com/Dr_TheHistories/status/20 ... 3134162227
