Afghan artists fooled Taliban to save paintings

Washington Post ^ | 2 January 2002 | Kevin Sullivan

[COBOL2Java]

Taliban Had Wrong Impression Artists Tricked Police to Save Work With Banned Images Click to view article ...

[COBOL2Java]

I especially liked how the Talitubby Enforcers were illiterate, and easily duped.

[dighton]

Great story.

[KC_Conspirator]

These people are outright animals living in their own dark ages.

[Orual]

Brave man. Great story.

[Cogadh na Sith]

One day in 1999, Shah said the Taliban police came to one of his shops, hauled out $40,000 worth of books and destroyed them in a bonfire on the street.

They shouted "Down with Harry Potter!!" Allahu Akbar!".

[PLOM...NOT!]

Working alone in a cold room in the gallery, hiding when Taliban officials would happen in, Asefi carefully painted over people, cows, donkeys, birds and other animals. He matched the background colors perfectly; a riverbank filled with grazing cattle was made to look empty when he applied a watercolor mask. He worked on a few of his own paintings, although at least 26 of his had already been stolen or destroyed.
The Western/American/human spirit is alive and well in Afghanistan.

[Sloth]

I saw a bit about this on the news... Watercolor masks on oil paintings. Utterly ingenious! That Asefi guy deserves a lot of credit.

[Joan_of_Argghh!]

What a great story! Thanks.

[austinTparty]

It always amazes me that when people of courage are oppressed, that hidden reserves of ingenuity and invention are somehow unleashed... amazing story. Thanks for posting it.