"And do not abuse (defame, revile) those beings whom they invoke instead of Allah, lest they revile Allah out of spite and in ignorance. Thus We have made their actions seem attractive to every community; then their return shall be to their Lord, so He may notify them about how they have been acting. "

When the Qur'an orders all the Muslims of the world not to even verbally abuse the deities of other religion, how could it give sanction to the Talibans to physically destruct the statues of the Buddha in this fashion and manner?

Alas! They are insulting Al-Qur'an, but they know not. On the contrary they justify their doings from The Qur'an. The events narrated in The Qur'an about Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Moosa, and the Sunnah of the Last Prophet, Muhammed, (peace be upon them) have been put forward to prove their act as legitimate. How strange that the orders are extrapolated from the informations of the events provided in The Qur'an and Hadeeth, whereas in the above mentioned Ayah there is a crystal clear order not to even verbally insult the deities of other religions!

Let us analyze the events narrated about Prophet Ibrahim, which are mentioned in many places in The Qur'an. The references are provided here. It is6/80-81, 19/41-47,21/51-68, 26/69-85, 29/24-26, 37/83-99 and at many other places. I would like to mention here a brief gist of all that.

Ibrahim (AS) born in the dynasty of Mesopotamia and after getting the Divine Guidance, he called his people towards one and only Almighty. He was totally rejected. His own father threatened to kill him, (19/41-47). Finally, fully prepared for the consequences, he broke the idols of his own people but kept intact the big one so that they could see that these idols cannot even save their own selves. He was in great danger and he faced it. Uselessness of idol worship was proved to them and they realized their guilt. (21/63-67) Still they resolved to put him alive in a big fire in the presence of all the people. Ibrahim (AS) had expected something like that and so was prepared for it as he had left any hope in them to accept the oneness of Almighty. It was ALLAH's will to save him from the fire (21/69) otherwise they were almost successful in their scheme. Then Ibrahim (AS) migrated from there and the history has witnessed that Mesopotamia remained no more after Ibrahim had left it.

Did the Taliban encounter any such situation? By extrapolating such events they are denying the crystal clear order of Almighty Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an orders us not to defame the deities of other religion even orally, how, then, could it instruct us to destroy them in such a manner and fashion? The Talibans can fool themselves, not the world and surely not The Almighty.

Any and all the repercussions erupting anywhere in the world due to this destructive act shall only be credited to the account of the Talibans, and they should ponder over the position of one who instigates others to commit crimes.

The real Islam of Qur'anic spirit entered Egypt during the period of the companions of the Prophet and history is a witness that all the Pyramids are standing there even today. They did not even touch the statue of Sphinx. The same real Qur'anic spirit was observed when they came with the Message of Muhammad (SAWS) into Afghanistan, in the later period of the first Hijri, ie; 750 AD; and they did not desecrate the statues of the Buddha. The history of Mahmood Ghaznavi, about whom the Talibans take great pride, was belonging to the same Afghanistan only, and his Ghazni is not very far from the Buddha statues which the Talibans have now targeted. In those days inhabitants of entire Afghanistan were either Buddhist or Hindus. They whole-heartedly accepted Islam. The Message of love, universal brotherhood, and moral ethics of Islam transformed them. Nobody in the world can forcibly change the belief or the religion of such a brave community, not even with swords or bombs. Now the same people who have inherited Islam from their ancestors should prove themselves embodiment of the same real spirit of their religion; and that is - to convey the message of love and equality to the whole of mankind. But unfortunately, that is not evident from what they are now intending to do.

May ALLAH forgive the Afghans.. the interest they earn while it has been forbidden in The Holy Qur'an. ALLAH says concerning those who consume interest that they should be ready for a war against Allah and His Messenger (2/278-279).

May ALLAH forgive them. the wealth they earned a couple of months back from the sale of narcotics and bought arms for their Jihad. May Allah forgive them.. Their worshipping of graves. while the Qur'an and the Prophet has strictly forbidden it.

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