Ancient Buddha Statue Gets Attacked in Pakistan

Pro-Taliban militants have attempted to blow up an ancient carving of Buddha in northwest Pakistan.

Officials and witnesses in Pakistan’s Swat district said armed men arrived in the area late Monday night. They apparently drilled holes in the rock and filled them with dynamite in an attempt to totally destroy its existence.

However, the ancient Buddha only received minimal damage. Scientists say that because of how it’s located on a steep ridge, and carved into a 130 foot rock, prevented the statue from being ruined.

Local archaeology expert Professor Pervaiz Shaheen reported that the Buddha statue in Swat valley was considered the largest in Asia, after the two Bamiyan Buddha’s.

Reports have shown that Swat has seen increased pro-Taliban activity in recent months due to the return of militant group Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) who now has a new leader, Maulana Fazlullah.

Last week, members of the TNSM militant group were reported to have blown up several music, video and cosmetics stalls at a nearby market after stall owners ignored warnings to close businesses who they thought to be “un-Islamic”.

The militant’s purpose is to spread the message that certain stores, products, and even ancient artifacts are offensive to Islam and should be destroyed.

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