A/56/253 Afghanistan. The Special Rapporteur pointed out that such acts of destruction were an affront to religious beliefs and a violation of freedom of religion, a freedom that was guaranteed and protected by international law. No reply has been received from the Taliban to date. The Bamayan statues were destroyed. During this Year of Dialogue among Civilizations, the international community should react strongly and take steps to effectively protect religious sites and monuments, including those which are part of the cultural heritage of mankind. The Special Rapporteur notes with satisfaction that on 31 May 2001, the General Assembly adopted resolution 55/254 on the protection of religious sites, in which it condemns all acts or threats of violence, destruction, damage or endangerment, directed against religious sites as such; calls upon all States to adopt adequate measures aimed at preventing such acts or threats of violence, and invites relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to contribute to those efforts by developing appropriate initiatives in this field; encourages all States, relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the media to promote, inter alia, through education, a culture of tolerance and respect for the diversity of religions and for religious sites, which represent an important aspect of the collective heritage of mankind. 28. The Special Rapporteur draws attention to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/42, entitled “Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance”, in which the Commission requests States to exert utmost efforts, in accordance with their national legislation and in conformity with international human rights standards, to ensure that religious places, sites and shrines are fully respected and protected and to take additional measures in cases where they are vulnerable to desecration or destruction. 29. The Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Geneva confirmed the allegations referred to in the Special Rapporteur’s urgent appeal and drew attention to the fact that pre-Islamic works in Afghanistan had been completely destroyed by the Taliban militia. The Permanent Mission added: “We do not know how to qualify this barbaric act of vandalism, which is an affront to our history and to the beliefs of millions of Buddhists in the world … Strong and firm pressure must be brought to bear on the Government of Pakistan to cease its multifaceted support, including military support, to this group.” 30. On 22 May 2001, the Taliban allegedly planned to issue a third decree whereby, based on their interpretation of Sharia law, non-Muslims would be required to wear a distinctive emblem on their clothing. The official explanation was that this would provide better protection for minorities. The Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the supreme chief of the Taliban, asking him not to issue the decree because of its discriminatory nature and stressing that measures designed to protect minorities must be consistent with the relevant international human rights standards, which were based on the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of religion or belief. Again, no reply has been received from the Taliban. The Special Rapporteur considers that the case of the Taliban is an instance not only of the use of religion for political purposes, but of obscurantism as well. The Special Rapporteur also considers that the negative image of Islam that has been conveyed by the Taliban not only misrepresents that religion, but constitutes a betrayal and a downright defamation of Islam, as noted in Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/4, of 18 April 2001, entitled “Combating defamation of religions as 9