Sir — The Taliban had demolished the famed Bamiyan statues in Afghanistan. Now, the jihadist elements of the Islamic State have begun destroying the ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq. They have particularly targeted sculptural works and buildings which do not comply with Islamic culture. What is that parameter, only the jihadists know. They want to finish all evidences of the pre-Islamic past so that human beings do not get a chance to judge the superiority of any other civilisation. Very soon, they may claim that there was no earth before the advent of Islam!