Source Express News Service Ludhiana, December 6: THE Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to carry out the repair, renovation and reconstruction of Gurdwara buildings in Afghanistan which suffered damage during the Taliban regime. This decision was taken in the meeting of its Dharam Parchar Committee held at Gurdwara Manji Sahib, Alamgir, about 20… Continue reading SGPC to repair Afghan gurdwaras
WORD FOR WORD: The Buddhas the Taliban destroyed —Khaled Ahmed
Source When the two colossi were newly carved, the great Chinese traveller Hsuan Tsang saw them in 642 AD and noted their brilliant reflection from a distance. The smaller Buddha was Maitreya and the taller one was Rocana In 2000, the Taliban destroyed two 5th century AD statues of Buddha in Bamiyan. One was 114… Continue reading WORD FOR WORD: The Buddhas the Taliban destroyed —Khaled Ahmed
International Religious Freedom Report 2005 – Afghanistan
Source Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The country experienced civil war, political violence, religious and political extremism, and misrule for more than 25 years before 2001. In December 2001, the Afghan Interim Administration (AIA) took office, and in June 2002, the Emergency Loya Jirga, a gathering of Afghan representatives from… Continue reading International Religious Freedom Report 2005 – Afghanistan
Letter from United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to the U.S. Department of State
Dear Acting Assistant Secretary Greene: I am writing on behalf of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to urge that the United States communicate and act urgently to prevent the imminent involuntary deportation from Germany to Afghanistan of particularly vulnerable asylum seekers, including Hindu refugees who face the threat of violence upon return… Continue reading Letter from United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to the U.S. Department of State
Return of Celebration of Afghan Hindu Festivals
click here for the news article in Dari from BBC
Festival fever grips Afghanistan’s historic temples
Source Indo-Asian News Service Kabul, October 5, 2005 With the onset of the nine-day Hindu festival period of Navratra, Kabul’s ancient Hindu temples, steeped in fascinating folklore, are buzzing with a record number of devotees of all faiths. The focal attraction is Asamai temple at the foothills of Koh-i-Asamai, the central hill feature around which… Continue reading Festival fever grips Afghanistan’s historic temples
Afghans may vote in Communists they drove out
Source By GRAEME SMITH Thursday, September 22, 2005 Page A21 KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — It’s been four decades since Noorolhaq Olomi was a young Afghan army officer, secretly giving Communist books to his troops. In the years since, Mr. Olomi has played several roles in Afghanistan’s turbulent history: political prisoner, asylum seeker, and highest-ranking official in… Continue reading Afghans may vote in Communists they drove out