VANDALISM OF TALIBAN – AN UN-ISLAMIC ACT?

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer

Posted on March 13, 2001


   The news that the Taliban Government of Afghanistan has started vandalising the rare statues of Buddha in Bamian region of Afghanistan is highly disturbing. It is vandalism of the worst sort being perpetrated in the name of Islam. The Taliban, it should be noted, are not at all authentic representative of Islam and their acts of omission and commission should not be looked at as representative of Islamic teachings, much less Islamic spirit. The Taliban are product of highly sectarian madrasas in the North West of Pakistan which create very narrow sectarian mind-set. The teachings in these madrasas is far from spiritual and is more politically motivated.

  No doubt Islam prohibits idol worship as according to Islam there is one God who cannot be conceived of in any shape. This concept of Islam comes quite close to the Hindu tradition which teaches that God is nirgun and nirankar (i.e. without attributes and shape). But that does not mean that Islam believes in destroying idols worshipped by others. On the contrary the Qur’an very clearly says that “And abuse not those who call upon besides Allah (i.e. worship other than Allah), lest exceeding the limits, they abuse Allah through ignorance. (6:109)

  Thus it is the duty of Muslims, if they follow the Qur’anic teachings, not to abuse others gods and worship Allah in their own way. If they abuse others gods they can abuse Allah and such match in mutual abuses is most undesirable. It will only increase hatred and conflict. Not only that the Qur’an makes even more significant statement: “Thus for every people have We made their deeds fair-seeming.” (6:109) This clearly means that Allah has made deeds (rituals, ways of worship etc.) fair seeming to every community whether it worships God this way or that way. Also, the Qur’an adopts very catholic approach when it says “For you is your religion, for me mine” (109:6)

  The Qur’an also maintains that Allah protects the places of religious worship of different faiths. Thus the Qur’an says, “And if Allah did not repel some people by others, cloisters, and churches, and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered, would have been pulled down.” (22:40) Thus we see that Qur’an maintains that Allah’s name is much remembered in all religious places be they cloisters, churches, synagogues or mosques. And Allah protects them by replacing one set of people (bent upon demolishing them) by those who (protect them). Thus it is totally against the Qur’anic teachings to vandalise any ones place of worship.

  There is absolutely nothing in the Qur’an which can incite Muslims to destroy idols that others worship. It would, on the contrary, be most un-Qur’anic act one can think of. The Taliban are destroying Buddha statues which are not even idols not are they being worshipped by anyone there. They are the fine specimen of sculpture carved out in 3rd and 4th centuries and represent creative blending of Graceo-Roman and Indian styles. Statues, even otherwise, must be distinguished from idols. Installing statues even by Muslims are not un-Islamic according to the Grand Mufti of Egypt in late 19th century Muhammad Abduh.

   Muhammad Abduh’s famous fatwa says that in Islam deeds have merit or demerit according to intention (i.e. niyyah). If intention is not to worship it statue of famous personalities can be installed. Muhammad Abduh issued this fatwa when many other `ulama of al-Azhar, the premier Islamic seminary in Cairo were opposing installation of statue of some political leaders. Jamal Abdal Nasir, the then president of Egypt even said that Egypt has proud heritage of ancient Pharaohnic culture.

  An eighteenth century sufi saint Mazhar Jan-i-janan who is buried in Delhi even maintained that Hindu worship of idols is qualitatively different from idol worshipping of pre-Islamic Arabs. He maintained that the pre-Islamic Arabs worshipped those idols as God whereas the Hindus who believe God is nirankar and nirgun worship them not as God but as intermediary to God. They see in these idols the reflection of God and Jan-i-Janan compares it with a sufi’s tasawwur-e-shiekh. A sufi reaches Allah through a Master called Sheikh, not by himself. Similarly a Hindu reaches God through the agency of an idol in which he sees God’s reflection. And thus he maintains that such idol worship does not lead to kufr i.e. denial of oneness of God or shirk i.e. associating partners with God.

  Thus seen in the light of these opinions (fatwas) Taliban’s vandalism is totally un-Islamic and must be strongly condemned. These Buddha statues constitute part of world’s heritage and must be preserved at any cost. All Islamic countries have preserved their pre-Islamic heritage be it Egypt, Pakistan, Bangla Desh, Malaysia or Indonesia. World will be culturally poorer if Talibans are allowed to have their way.


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