The cultural heritage of Afghanistan disappears periodically because of the destruction wrought by barbarians, but it is never entirely eliminated. Somehow our rich and strong heritage will survive, in one place or another. As I have explained, during the recent fighting much of our cultural heritage was transferred to the national and international book markets. But this means that it is at least alive and gathered somewhere, whether inside the country or outside. We are not downcast, and we have not lost courage. Our history has seen many conquerors, and our cultural heritage has frequently been moved to other cultural centres, but it has never been destroyed utterly. In one way or another, it has been restored. Our history shows the destuctive power of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, the Mogul Empire, the English, and now the Islamic fundamentalists. But sooner or later another national hero will emerge, and Afghanistan will again become the crossroads between eastern and western civilisation. But this time brighter than ever.
