In March 2001, the Taliban ordered and directed the demolition of two treasured symbols of Afghanistan’s pre-Islamic heritage: the Bamiyan Buddhas. The objective was to erase any cultural heritage inconsistent with their narrow vision of Islam. Twenty years later, Dr. Morwari Zafar, an anthropologist with experience in international development and national security, and currently an adjunct lecturer at Georgetown University’s Security Studies program, reflects on the relationship between al-Qaeda and the Taliban during this time and discusses the significance of cultural heritage in defining a country’s national identity.