Footnote 1 – The Buddhas of Bamiyan

The 108th surah of the Koran reads: “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent and Merciful, / Say! O Disbelievers! / I worship not that which ye worship; / Nor worship ye that which I worship; / And I shall not worship that which ye worship. / Nor will ye worship that which I worship. / Unto you, your religion; and unto me, my religion. (Revealed at Mecca.)” This surah would appear to demand an attitude of tolerance. According to some press reports, the Taliban have indeed allowed Afghani citizens who are members of Jain, Hindu and other groups to continue to practice their religions.