Vol. 532 No. 3
92 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has joined in the international condemnation of the Taliban militia in Afghanistan who are destroying unique and irreplaceable relics of its pre-Islamic heritage; and if any international action is proposed to try and prevent this cultural barbarism. [7277/01]
Ireland and the EU have strongly condemned the destruction of statues and non-Islamic shrines by the Taliban authorities. We consider this act of cultural barbarism and religious intolerance to be a crime against the world's common heritage which will irreparably and irreversibly deprive Afghanistan of its unique historical and cultural patrimony. The EU has protested to the Taliban authorities and has requested a meeting with the Taliban leader Mullah Omar in this connection.
The Secretary General of the United Nations has also appealed to the Taliban leadership to abide by their previous commitments to protect Afghanistan's cultural heritage in general and the two great Buddhist sculptures in Bamiyan in particular.
Ireland has joined with the international community in urging the Taliban to do all in their power to preserve the unique and irreplaceable relics of Afghanistan's rich heritage, both Islamic and pre-Islamic, as the strongest foundation for a better, more peaceful and more tolerant future for all its people. Moreover, it is incumbent on the Taliban leadership to prioritise the rebuilding of the country, the renewal of the fabric of society and the relief of the immense suffering and deprivation of the people of Afghanistan.
