My letter to the editor refers to Arbibi Ashoy's [#1] Taliban's right to destroy statues [/#] (March 6). His assessment of the whole issue says more about his prejudices and false assumptions, than about the reality of what is happening in Afghanistan.

There are a million things man can do to make this world a more peaceful and better place to live. Saving frogs, trees, plants, etc. Afghanistan is not the only country that needs humanitarian aid. A dozen countries in Africa alone need it too. So let's focus on the issues and their consequences.

The statues were regarded as relics of human civilisation enriched with culture, art and history. Not only to Afghanistan but also all Buddhists, Central Asia and the world. The statues were more symbols rather than representations of a place of worship. Buddha wasn't even god; he was merely a man who has attained enlightenment while sitting under a bodhi tree.

In Egypt, no one worships the Pharaoh any more, but we don't see the people tearing down or blowing up historical artifacts, even if they don't represent a contemporary cultural influence.

The bombing of the Bamiyan Buddhas are based on political decisions made by fundamentalist military Muslim group. I do not believe it is a religious decision. I hope not.