Don't yield, Afghan clergy tell Taliban

KABUL, MARCH 5. The Afghan Islamic clergy today urged the ruling Taliban's supreme leader not to bow to international pressure and to go ahead with the plans of destroying historic relics. The call was echoed through loudspeakers of the mosques of Kabul on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

``They (non-Muslims) want to distract us from our firm responsibility and we request that the policy of smashing these idols go ahead,'' said one cleric. Another cleric said: ``let us show the world that Muslims are united in their beliefs and will not bow down to any pressure at any cost.''

The Taliban has vowed to destroy all the statues in the country, including two massive ancient Buddhas in Bamiyan. The purist Islamic movement, which has been widely condemned for the decision, says it has smashed major collections in several parts of the country since last week when the Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, decreed the destruction of ``un- Islamic'' idols.

Many ordinary Afghans, including some Taliban officials, say that as the statues are no longer worshipped they should be preserved. But to the Taliban leadership, the decree is absolute.``Any abolition of the decree would mean an irreparable loss to the dignity of Islam and its followers. When the world ignores us and keeps on isolating us under various pretexts, why should we listen to them,'' asked one cleric. Yet others said scrapping the decree could cause a split within the Taliban ranks.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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