Extra-Blatt
Kettenbrief: Petition gegen die Zerstörung antiker Statuen
Originaltext (engl.)
> Subject: Destruction of Afghan Cultural Heritage > Dear Friends, > I just received this petition by email and the damage to the ancient > Buddhist sculptures in Afghanistan may already have been irrevocably > done. But that doesn't mean we should remain mute about the event. > And in case there is something still worth preserving ... > - Please sign and also forward this e-mail to friends, family, > news groups, mailing lists etc. > - DO NOT SIGN TWICE. DO NOT LET IT DEAD END. IF YOU ARE UNABLE OR > UNWILLING TO SIGN IT, EITHER FORWARD IT TO OTHERS OR RETURN TO > mailto:unesco.press@unesco.org > - To avoid adding ">>" onto the chain, please preferably cut & paste > the entire petition and list of names into a new message prior to > re-sending. > - The 100th, 200th, 300th NAME/PERSON to sign is requested to also > forward the updated list of signatures back to the United Nations > Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation at > mailto:unesco.press@unesco.org > UNESCO International Petition to Safeguard Afghanistan Cultural Heritage > We, the undersigned, plead for an immediate end to the Taliban edict > to demolish Afghanistan's cultural heritage. We further urge the > Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammed Omar to enter into dialogue > with the international community - including the Arab and Islamic > governments that overwhelmingly have condemned these actions - in > order to explore proposals to safeguard this irreplaceable cultural > heritage from further, senseless destruction. > The edict of the 26th of February 2001 to destroy pre-Islamic and > Buddhist objects-including the world's largest standing Buddha statues > at Bamiyan-runs counter to all the basic principles of respect, > tolerance and the wisdom upon which Islam is based, and is a breach of > the Taliban pledge made in 1999. We plead with Taliban authorities to > stop this irreversible assault on two millennia of Afghanistan's > artistic and cultural achievements, treasured not only as the > spiritual birthright of Buddhists everywhere but also as a universal > cultural heritage for people of all faiths and nationalities.