Civil and social associations of Afghan Turks have condemned the destruction of the statue of Amir Ali-Shir Navai, a renowned poet and intellectual, by the Taliban in Mazar-e-Sharif.
These associations described this action as “an explicit attack on people’s collective memory and part of the shared identity of the citizens” of Afghanistan.
Raheela Dostum, former senator and daughter of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, also wrote on social media platform X that this act was “heinous and anti-cultural,” demonstrating “Taliban’s hostility toward the civilizational and historical heritage of the region.” She called on the international community to take a stance against this action.
This Taliban action continues their pattern of destroying cultural symbols in Afghanistan.
Previously, in October 2024, the Taliban demolished the square and statue of Abdul Ali Mazari, founder of the Islamic Unity Party in western Kabul. The Taliban group has not yet commented on the destruction of Amir Ali-Shir Navai’s statue.
