In 2001, in the Bamyan valley in central Afghanistan, the Taliban destroyed two giant 6th Century Buddhas which had been carved into the cliff face. In their view, they were idols and had to be destroyed. History and art that reminds us of the past is an annoying presence for totalitarian regimes, and for new […]
A backlash is growing against the decision of Green party Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy to ban live animals from the traditional life-size Nativity crib at Dublin’s Mansion House. For more than 35 years, donkeys, goats and sheep have made the Nativity scene extra special for small children, and alongside the figures of Mary and Joseph […]