Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-15-Speech-4-138"
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"en.20010315.8.4-138"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, the sad point that I have to make at the outset is that the statues have now been destroyed and so we have been overtaken by events. Nevertheless, as a funereal action and as a warning to the world, our resolution holds considerable resonance. Certainly the suppression of women's rights in Afghanistan continues apace. I come from a different cultural and religious tradition to those who created the Bamiyan Buddha statues in the 2nd century, but I feel that all of us share a common ownership of our heritage and the right to free movement, education and employment regardless of gender.
Coming particularly to the statues, this destruction was much more than just a mindless act of violence by a regime that apparently intends to catapult us back into the Middle Ages. All of us, whatever our creed, nationality, or political viewpoint, lost an irreplaceable piece of the common heritage that binds us together on this earth.
A founding principle of the European Union is that religious and cultural tolerance is integral to a democratic and civilised society. This debate therefore not only registers our disgust with the Taliban, it is also a reminder that there are forces we need to guard against. The Taliban may see the destruction of the Buddhas simply as the shattering of stones. But we in Europe know better. We know that the burning of books meant much more than the burning of books. It signified something else entirely. In commending my resolution to the House, I hope therefore that we in the Union will continue to work with all the governments and other agencies which sought to prevent this action and that together we can prevent any further catastrophes of this kind."@en1
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