[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 52 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 52

Condemning the destruction of pre-Islamic statues in Afghanistan by the 
                            Taliban regime.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2001

 Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. 
Ackerman, Mr. English, Mr. Berman, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Engel, Mr. Bonior, 
 Mr. Davis of Florida, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Olver, Mr. Farr of 
  California, Mr. Stark, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Clement, Mr. 
     McNulty, Mr. Dicks, and Ms. McCollum) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Condemning the destruction of pre-Islamic statues in Afghanistan by the 
                            Taliban regime.

Whereas many of the oldest and most significant Buddhist statues in the 
        world are in Afghanistan, which, at the time that many of the 
        statues were carved, was one of the most cosmopolitan regions 
        in the world and hosted merchants, travelers, and artists from 
        China, India, central Asia, and the Roman Empire;
Whereas such statues are part of the common heritage of mankind, which 
        must be preserved for future generations;
Whereas on February 26, 2001, the leader of the Taliban regime, Mullah 
        Mohammad Omar, ordered the destruction of all pre-Islamic 
        statues in Afghanistan, among them a pair of 1,600-year-old, 
        100-foot-tall statues of Buddha that are carved out of a 
        mountainside;
Whereas the religion of Islam and Buddhist statues have coexisted in 
        Afghanistan as part of the unique historical and cultural 
        heritage of that nation for more than 1,100 years;
Whereas the destruction of the pre-Islamic statues contradicts the 
        basic tenet of the Islamic religion that other religions should 
        be tolerated;
Whereas people of all faiths and nationalities have condemned the 
        destruction of the statues in Afghanistan, including Muslim 
        communities around the world; and
Whereas the destruction of the statues violates the United Nations 
        Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and 
        Natural Heritage, which was ratified by Afghanistan on March 
        20, 1979: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) joins with people and governments around the world in 
        condemning the destruction of pre-Islamic statues in 
        Afghanistan by the Taliban regime;
            (2) urges the Taliban regime to stop destroying such 
        statues; and
            (3) calls upon the Taliban regime to grant the United 
        Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and 
        other international organizations immediate access to 
        Afghanistan to survey the damage and facilitate international 
        efforts to preserve and safeguard the remaining statues.
                                 <all>