In Afghanistan, the policy of the Taliban regime is to destroy Buddhist statues. These artifacts are central to Buddhist worship and valuable to the world at large. Buddhist statues existed in Afghanistan long before Afghans became Muslims.

Previous Afghan Muslim governments preserved the statues as important historic treasures. An international fund was set up to buy the statues and the New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art proposed to move the statues at its own cost. Yet despite these efforts, two Buddhas in the Bamiyan province—which stood 165 feet by 114 feet were detonated and reduced to rubble.

Hindu communities have been threatened by the Muslim majority in Bangladesh. Hindu temples have been torched and statues of deities have been destroyed. Public calls have been made to raze the central Hindu temple and replace it with a mosque.

Widespread persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus has risen sharply since a Radical Islamic coalition took control of the government. Yet, the government denies that there is a campaign against Hindus, who form about 12 percent of Bangladesh’s 130 million-strong population.

Seven Baha'i leaders in Iran have been imprisoned on espionage charges. The prisoners have not been allowed to speak with lawyers, and formal evidence has not been presented. An additional 30 Baha’i are imprisoned on unknown charges.

Iran’s Prosecutor General has stated that the government is planning the “complete destruction” of the Baha’i community in Iran claiming they pose a national security threat.

The Baha’i Faith remains the only independent world religion, other than Islam, that accepts the divinity of Muhammad and reveres the Koran, alongside the holy books of all the world’s major religions.