We humans are amazing creatures. We certainly have fallen into great depths of folly and risen to incredible heights. But one of the remarkable things we do, regardless of people, time or place, is to leave marvels for future generations. Be these master works in art like Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave, works of music like Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons or architectural triumphs like Notre-Dame de Paris. These works speak to all about the human condition and express sentiments, often almost religious, leaving us in awe. Bamiyan, Afghanistan is now a dusty town. Once however, it was the gateway between South Asia and Central Asia. Trains of pack animals, armies and pilgrims used to travel through here following the Indian branch of the famed Silk Route. For 1,400 years travellers were welcomed and blessed by the giant Buddhas carved into the cliffs. A UNSECO World Heritage Site, they hindered no one, they asked nothing, they stood there greeting all alike.The Taliban, a fundamentalist militant movement, that grew out of the madaris religious schools in Afghanistan. It gained control of Afghanistan in whole or part, in the 1990s, lost it for 20 years at the start of the NATO intervention there and resumed control after the US withdrawal in 2021. The revolutionary cleric and later Supreme Leader of the country, Muhammad Omar, was educated in the madrassa system. And, it was under his orders that the Taliban announced they intended to destroy the Buddhas. Other countries offered to remove them, but this would not meliorate the acridness running through their veins... a bitterness placed there by their self-righteous ideology and displayed in human rights violations, mistreatment of women, and other hateful acts.Meanwhile, Stonehenge standing on the open plane of Salisbury watched the world go by for 5,000 years. This UNESCO World Heritage Site known around the world is a symbol of England. It is a marvel that still has not revealed all its mysteries. Although some ancient graves were in the area, its exact purpose is speculative. There is an even longer history of human activity around the site. As of now, it consists of a semi-circle of monoliths with stones placed inside and others scattered about. It is a place of gathering to celebrate the solstice.Two eco-activists from Just Stop Oil, spray painted the stones with an orange paint on June 20, 2024. Just Stop Oil are well known for their performances of stopping traffic, vandalism, interrupting public events and other acts of disobedience. Stonehenge was not the first place spray painted.The environment is a worthy cause and many governments around the world are taking steps to seriously address the multiple issues involved. Environmental problems do not exist in a vacuum and other things need to be considered by governments. The problems were not created in a day nor are they going to go away in one. Caution is called for, to avoid making things worse. Caution requires moving slowly and not rushing headlong into some solution only to have regrets later.The stones at Stonehenge were not permanently damaged and have been cleaned. There is a rare lichen that lives on the stones which seems damaged. But, having an ideology that focuses one’s vitriol sufficiently to permit any action in its name, is to be no different from the Taliban. Damaging, destroying and devastating treasures of the world and long-standing customs because of one’s self-righteousness will not draw people to any cause. It brings the opposite effect. Ancient expressions of human flourishing once destroyed, cannot be replaced.Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests.
We humans are amazing creatures. We certainly have fallen into great depths of folly and risen to incredible heights. But one of the remarkable things we do, regardless of people, time or place, is to leave marvels for future generations. Be these master works in art like Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave, works of music like Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons or architectural triumphs like Notre-Dame de Paris. These works speak to all about the human condition and express sentiments, often almost religious, leaving us in awe. Bamiyan, Afghanistan is now a dusty town. Once however, it was the gateway between South Asia and Central Asia. Trains of pack animals, armies and pilgrims used to travel through here following the Indian branch of the famed Silk Route. For 1,400 years travellers were welcomed and blessed by the giant Buddhas carved into the cliffs. A UNSECO World Heritage Site, they hindered no one, they asked nothing, they stood there greeting all alike.The Taliban, a fundamentalist militant movement, that grew out of the madaris religious schools in Afghanistan. It gained control of Afghanistan in whole or part, in the 1990s, lost it for 20 years at the start of the NATO intervention there and resumed control after the US withdrawal in 2021. The revolutionary cleric and later Supreme Leader of the country, Muhammad Omar, was educated in the madrassa system. And, it was under his orders that the Taliban announced they intended to destroy the Buddhas. Other countries offered to remove them, but this would not meliorate the acridness running through their veins... a bitterness placed there by their self-righteous ideology and displayed in human rights violations, mistreatment of women, and other hateful acts.Meanwhile, Stonehenge standing on the open plane of Salisbury watched the world go by for 5,000 years. This UNESCO World Heritage Site known around the world is a symbol of England. It is a marvel that still has not revealed all its mysteries. Although some ancient graves were in the area, its exact purpose is speculative. There is an even longer history of human activity around the site. As of now, it consists of a semi-circle of monoliths with stones placed inside and others scattered about. It is a place of gathering to celebrate the solstice.Two eco-activists from Just Stop Oil, spray painted the stones with an orange paint on June 20, 2024. Just Stop Oil are well known for their performances of stopping traffic, vandalism, interrupting public events and other acts of disobedience. Stonehenge was not the first place spray painted.The environment is a worthy cause and many governments around the world are taking steps to seriously address the multiple issues involved. Environmental problems do not exist in a vacuum and other things need to be considered by governments. The problems were not created in a day nor are they going to go away in one. Caution is called for, to avoid making things worse. Caution requires moving slowly and not rushing headlong into some solution only to have regrets later.The stones at Stonehenge were not permanently damaged and have been cleaned. There is a rare lichen that lives on the stones which seems damaged. But, having an ideology that focuses one’s vitriol sufficiently to permit any action in its name, is to be no different from the Taliban. Damaging, destroying and devastating treasures of the world and long-standing customs because of one’s self-righteousness will not draw people to any cause. It brings the opposite effect. Ancient expressions of human flourishing once destroyed, cannot be replaced.Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests.
