Destruction of statues a cover-up of Taliban's atrocities - Rabbani

Tehran, March 15, IRNA -- Demolition of Buddha statues by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban is aimed at covering up their atrocities in Bamiyan, the Leader of Afghanistan's opposition northern alliance, Burhanuddin Rabbani said here Thursday. "Taliban opted for destruction of Buddha statues after they came under heavy international pressure for their atrocities in Bamiyan," Rabbani told IRNA. He noted that destruction of statues was a loophole Taliban found. He said that fanatic and rigid-minded Taliban have insulted Afghans under guise of Islam. As a consequence of Taliban's destruction of statues, Rabbani added, certain nations became suspicious of Islam. The hardline Taliban militia ordered the slaughter of 100 cows on Thursday to atone for its "delay" in destroying Afghanistan's historic statues of the Buddha. The radical movement which seized power in 1996 issued a decree on February 27 for the destruction of all Afghanistan's mainly Buddhist statues on the grounds that they were heathen idols. It carried out the task in the teeth of international protests and appeals to save the country's cultural heritage. The destroyed statues included two world-renowned giant Buddhas carved out of a cliff near the central town of Bamiyan more than 1,500 years ago.