The books survived though. Now we just need to keep them preserved until they can be returned.

Re-whatnow? Return them to the place where they were almost destroyed? This kind if item should be viewed as a part of humanity's common history and carefully protected, not sent back into a barely stable area where they would act as a prime target for the people who were duped into letting them go.

Indeed. I am definitely donating some money.

Same here. When I heard about the large Buddha sculptures in Bamyan Valley (Afghanistan) destroyed by the Taliban, my heart sank.

You should be aware that while it was bad, it was also used as propaganda. There's no accident that there's multiple clips about the statues on the offical NATO YouTube channel. The event is nothing compared to what happened during the Iraq war for instance.

http://www.cemml.colostate.edu/cultural/09476/chp04-12iraqen...

That an event was used as propaganda does not make it less real.

It's shocking how someone is able to disrespect someone else's religion and still demand respect for his or her own.