By: Annie Xu

The bombing of Buddhas occurred in Afghanistan, in March of 2001 after the Taliban founder, Mohammad Omar, proclaimed the Buddhas gods were fake and revealed plans to destroy them. Despite governments around the world pleads, the Taliban ignored them and proceeded to destroy the priceless relics. This attack has made the Taliban known as “uncompromising extremists” around the world.

The Taliban are back in power, they see the Buddha remains as a possible source of income. Charging tourists to see the site could result in plenty of economic growth. It seems that the Taliban are trying to prove to the world they have changed since 2001. However, many people are skeptical. After proving themselves as a dangerous group and building that reputation in 2001, many people are hesitant to trust the Taliban. They still share many of their old beliefs, such as the “near-total exclusion of women from public life (including employment and education).”

With the authorities charging foreigners $3.45 to see the remains and $0.58 for Afghans, many people are considering this as a way to make a steady income. Saifurrahman Mohammadi, who is the information and culture director for the Taliban government, says that tourism “could become a significant source of income.”

While some people support the new government, others do not. The Hazaras are a group that is opposed to the idea that the Taliban have changed. The Hazaras are a group of progressive and educated people but are also often stuck in poverty. There is also more reason to be skeptical for the Hazaras. The selling of tourism should make more money for Afghans, however, the economy continues to decay.

Many tourists are hesitant to go to the Buddha site because they fear the Taliban. The Taliban have done nothing in the public’s eyes to change the opinion that many people have of them. The merchants are even struggling; two teenage girls who run a souvenir shop implied the Taliban was hurting their business. Since the Taliban have risen to power, the sales have “fallen 50 percent.”

Is there any silver lining to take away? Yes. Afghanistan as a country still has plenty to offer. However, with the Taliban as the government, Marc Leaderman, who led tours of the wreckage before the Taliban returned said, “there is just not a lot of joy in the country at the moment.”