Pakhtun Nationalism and Talibanisation

Pakhtun Nationalism and Talibanisation

Mohammad Ayub Khan

Pakhtun social setup varies from region to region, particularly towards the south and central areas on both side of the infamous Durand Line; it is closely connected on tribal lines. No matter, on which side these tribes live, but they are always one and never allowed the invisible border come between their social interactions. Contrary to their southern brethren, Pakhtun living in the highlands in the Eastern parts of Himalayan/Hindukush ranges, they are more or less in semi tribal environment and rarely cross to the other side for social interactions. Apart from these predominated regions stretching from East to South West, covering around 2500 km, Pakhtuns have also moved during the last couple of centuries towards the northern plains of Afghanistan and close to the central Asian Republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Kandooz is Pakhtun dominated province the northern parts of Afghanistan, other than scatted around pockets in the adjoining areas. All Pakhtun are Afghan by default and they are very proud of their history and ethnicity too. During the 19th and 20th century the whole world was divided by a couple of colonialists, such as Spain, Italy, France and British etc and the world demographic map was dotted from one pole to another with these enslaved human colonies, established by these capitalists and imperialists to exploit their natural and human resources. Indian subcontinent remained part of the British colonies and one of the best jewels of their crown. To secure this jewel for ever, they had to keep fighting the Afghans/Pakhtun on their northern slopes of the Central Asia, but could not subdue them. The whole Muslim world, particularly the Middle East where the holiest shrines are located, occupied by them but it was only the Afghan soil remained outside of their influences. Love with national freedom cost them half of their motherland in 1893 and thousand of martyrs; however their continued struggle for independence and freedom opened the door of freedom for the enslaved nations and colonized communities around the world, when Afghanistan declared its full independence on 19th August 1919. a matchless honour and a priceless gift to the world of oppressed nations. British were not happy to test defeats at the hands of this poorly equipped Pakhtun /Afghan and applied every conceivable method to bring back their lost honour. In the battlefield Pakhtun/Afghan proven beyond any doubt that they are the superior warriors than their trained and fully equipped British forces, however in the area of espionage and stratagem they have no experience neither mindset. Ghazi Amanullah Khan initiated openness of the Afghan/Pakhtun society in a very aggressive mode and the British realized the urgency to bring him down in order foil his endeavor for development and progress in Afghanistan.. This time they used a non-traditional mode of battling their foes and attacked the liberal monarch with the most effective tool of sold out clerics and Mawlanas. Fatwa sellers issued their fatwa against Ghazi Amanullah Khan and his policy of social changes and declared him unfit to rule the Muslim Afghans. Ironically they did not bother, that the whole Muslim world is under the thumb of non Muslim even their close neighborhood Indian subcontinent, however they had no concern with this as their masters sitting in London have paid them to remove Ghazi Amanullah Khan from power and they obliged. During that period and before, clerics never dreamt of taking over reign of power to rule Afghan/Pakhtun at any phase of their history. They could only issued fatwa to describe an issue at hand, and their influence could not go beyond that perimeters. With the arrival of Red Soviets in Kabul during late 70s, these scions of Pir Mukaram Shah and Mullah Shorbazar of 1920s, found another employer with higher salary offer to declare jihad on infidels and took the rout towards the South to play with petrodollars and sophisticated weapons. Since 1978 till 1989, hundred of thousand of Afghan lost their lives and homes but none of these so called Islamic leaders suffered an inch of their property or lost any distant kith or kin. They enjoyed their lives to the maximum and built palaces in many parts of the world, certainly outside of communist block. Fighting the join enemy never realize them to form unified party or group and remained divided in seven big and numerous small parties. Not long before, these seven party leaders used to travel in motorcade of several vehicles and used to fly in the best possible jets. Mr Ronald Regan declared them Mujahideen and the defenders of the free world but in fact destroyer of their own poor country. They did not leave any wall standing neither any bridge hanging in Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawn and the collapse of the Dr. Najibullah Government in Afghanistan, the world witnessed another bout of annihilation and killings. Male, female and children were bombed alike by these pious Mujahideen. Taliban is the continuation of same process but more brute and more oppressive. Nasirullah Babar declared publicly many a times that these are his babies and their hatching farms are inside the tribal areas and some settled districts of NWFP. Taliban completed the last phase of humiliation and destruction of Afghanistan. They forced the young men to shout Allaho Akbar instead of clapping to enjoy soccer matches. Hundred of thousands fundamentalists and terrorists were invited to settle in Afghanistan and establish their propaganda and training centres and send their operatives to initiate Jihad all around. All types of progressive thinking, literature, music, journalism, education, diplomacy, governing system and peaceful coexistence were discouraged. Minorities lived along with Afghan/Pakhtun for centuries as part of Afghan honour and never faced any problem, but they were also forced to wear yellow stars in order to distinguish them. Millenniums old Giant Buddha statues of Bamyan were bombed and hundred of cows were slaughtered on the spot to pay for the negligence they committed for not doing this noble job years ago, Afghan honour and dignity came to the lowest ebb, when their Foreign Minister came to Islamabad for treatment and was carrying one pair of cloth in plastic shopping bag. Unfortunately Taliban not only destroyed each and every inch of Afghanistan and sold its honour but they were found facilitating terrorists of the whole world too. Their covert support to these uninvited guests brought the world to the brink of disaster in 2001, but instead of throwing these terrorists outside of their country they ignored the world criticism and allowed them to stay there at the cost of Afghanistan. Luckily Taliban were uprooted but they did not die so easily since their twin was already breathing on this side of the border. These new Taliban were facilitated to emerge victorious in the 2002 elections and were allowed to take over one full and another half provincial governments in Pakistan. Since the time of their arrival in 2002 and assuming a friendly opposition role in the centre, every effort is used to keep continue their elder brother’s ruthless agenda of brutality towards minorities, women, democracy, development and progressive tendencies. True to their rigid world view, music and culture was taken out of the daily carte du jour. Even the ordinary signboards on the main road, carrying women images were broken down. Musicians were insulted in broad day light and their musical instruments were thrown on the roads and burnt them. The only culture centre, Nishtar Hall was closed down since then and Talibanization process was ensued to take root in ever sphere of our social lives. In Pakhtun society, Taliban (or Chanri) are the weakest and most neglected aspect of our social setup. Whenever a poor family finds it difficult to feed their offspring, they are sent to the Madrasah where they are fed by local community and taught the religious (mostly Arabic scriptures) teachings and at the end of the day become a Mawlavi.
Every day and thrice a day Taliban go to each and every household and collect whatever they are offered. Thus nourished on the leftovers and often on alms food, they loss the guts to stand and speak the truth or face the brunt of leading a tribe or nation. Their only concern and objective is how to motivate a wealthy individual to build a mosque where he can start his job as Peshaimam and enjoy the restful life with his family. Believe me, there was one such a Mawlavi in Islamabad few years back, who sold his job of Mosque including facilities with 1.6 million to another Mawlavi. With no brain to use and coming from deprived strata of society, probably they avenge in a way their poverty and backwardness. Every one is now in the full knowledge of what role these Taliban under MMA are assigned or what should we expect from them in the near future. All those petty and useless fatwa sellers using FM or any other means to assert their existence are nothing but sold out fish. As proven from their past history that they are always ready to strike a deal with the enemies of Pushtoon, enslave them, kill their pride, wipe out their identify, culture, language and obliterate their land. Ironically they sell their pseudo piousness and use the sacred pulpit and mosque for their own vested interests and those of their master’s orders and damn care if innocent Pakhtun get killed or their families destroyed. Just imagine in 2001, when the poor Pakhtun were taken to the killing field in Afghanistan to fight against the cutting edge technology with shotguns in hands or in some instances rocket propelled grenades on their shoulders. What happened in the aftermath, thousand of these innocent young men perished and many more imprisoned. Today we are standing at a very sensitive cross road of our existence. Criminal and anti Pakhtun elements have worn the sacred garb of Taliban and bent upon to kill, maim or out rightly slur all those wishing to see a prosperous and developed Pakhtun nation. War against terror is nothing but to give Pakhtun a bad name and kill them. Pakhtun are the first and the last victim and on other hand these selfish political Mawlanas and their manufacturers are the ultimate beneficiaries. It won’t help if President Musharraf declares Talibanization is a sole serious internal threat to national solidarity. We need to see concrete steps on the part of his administration to give up their patronization and encouragement of political Mawlanas. Democracy and strengthening of democratic system and discouraging the exploitation of faith for political means must come to an end. Rule of law and tolerance for divergent political views, is the correct recipe for a forward looking society. Let us hope this nightmare is over soon and Afghan/Pakhtun stands tall again like their forefathers in the committee of the nations. Lawangin@gmail.com http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ar&nid=114