Those opposed to the Taliban actions protested that they were destroying ancient religious symbols that have meant so much to Buddhists over the centuries. Their adherence to this commandment, in their view, overrides any historical or religious value that the statues might have for mankind. From a religious-historical perspective, Jews do not possess any religious statues or monuments depicting their great leaders. Obviously, we could be inspired by seeing our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or Moses and King David carved into a mountaintop in Mount Rushmore-like fashion. Such monuments might enhance our great heritage, yet they do not exist.
Monuments are indeed a great work of art and immortalize a person's legacy for the ages.
Yet in all their grandeur, they simply represent the sculptor's personal opinion of how his subject looked and acted, frozen in time. In reality, however, that subject's personality may have had many dimensions to it, from which the sculptor has picked just one to highlight. The work of art cannot convey the true, complex character of the person, and may even distort its essence. In recent times, the six U.S. Marines who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II are considered heroes, the poignant moment captured forever in a photograph and immortalized with a statue in Washington symbolizing Americans' valor and courage in preserving freedom around the globe. His father, however, refused to talk about it.