Rabbani says 'statue decree' not about Islam

On Wednesday, the US representative office of Afghanistan's ousted President, Burhanuddin Rabbani, released a statement saying the decision by the Taliban's Mullah Omar to order the destruction of all pre-Islamic statues and monuments historic statues in Afghanistan had nothing to do with Shari'a [Islamic] law. "The wanton destruction of our national treasures has nothing to do with the teachings of the holy Quran and ... only reflects the lack of religious knowledge of the Taliban," it said. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday appealed to the Taliban's leaders not to carry out the decree but to "do all in their power to preserve the unique and irreplaceable relics of Afghanistan's rich heritage - both Islamic and pre-Islamic - as the strongest foundation for a better, more peaceful and more tolerant future for all its people." US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said the Taliban's order directly contradicted one of Islam's basic tenets: tolerance for other religions. "The US is distressed and baffled by this announcement by the Taliban," he added.