Naseebullah Achakzai
Are Pashtun victims of their location? If yes then why the other nations in the world who have been in a prime location of startegic importance have not been facing religious violence? Why religious intolerance, and bigotry have penetrated only the Pashtun mainland in both Pakistan and Afghanistan? Have the Pashtun intellectuals failed to combat it? Why the religious lot of Pashtunkhw has been stamping ok on the narrative that Pashtun is the real defender of faith? As to why the common Pashtun and the intellectuals have been the victims of religious intolerance? Why the policy makers have not been in cognizant of the consequences? Has the Pashtunwali code of bravery not harmed them more? Famous writer and researcher Afrasiab Khattak in his work a short history of Pashtunkhwa asserts that Pashtun has been the victim of its strategic location. Their mainland has always been an attracted place for invaders and that whosoever tried to invade India or China, they went through this mainland. This assertion carry weight as a matter of fact that this land has been a happy center of national and international proxies. The invaders and internal powerful players always tried to divide this nation through their Satanic designs on the name of tribalsim divisiosn, caste system, on political grounds and through ecnomic means as well as exploitation. Currently, the people of Pashtun mainland have been stereotyped as the defenders of the faith. On the name of faith they have been cutting one another,s throats and have been behading their heads. In both Pakistan and Afghanistan, the killer and the killed ones all are Pashtuns. Neither their Mosques nor schools, roads, graveyards and Hujras (Guest Houses) are safe. Shahbaz Sharif the current prime minister of Pakistan and the than Chief minister of Punjab in his statement published in the Dawn on March 15, 2015 titling CM Shahbaz wants Taliban to spare Punjab said that “Gen Musharraf planned a bloodbath of innocent Muslims at the behest of others only to prolong his rule, but we in the PML-N opposed his policies and rejected dictation from abroad and if the Taliban are also fighting for the same cause then they should not carry out acts of terror in Punjab (where the PML-N is ruling)” The misery is that the Talibanization has gripped Pashtun mainland in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the Soviet invasion these have penetrated the nation as whole that has brought nothing but destruction. In the leadership of Sofi Muhammad during the past years, Tehreek Nifaz Muhammadi took arms against the state to impose Sharia in Malakand division. The Taliban in Afghanistan and the TTP in ex FATA and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been in struggle of imposing their bigostism through violent means of which the Victims have been almost the Pashtuns themselves. They present themselves as the representatives of Pashtuns in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, where Pashtuns have been victims of Taliban,s attacks. The Islamization of Pashtun nation and the redicalism cannot be blamed only on them. Afrasiab Khattak in his book a short history of Pashtunkhwa says that religious extremism has not been the part of Pashtun culture though they are strict Muslims. This misconception was cemented during the Afghan war by the petro dollar segment. The Arab countries, Iran, America, and even Pakistan contributed vehemently. When the Soviet Union attacked Afghanistan, the anti Russian allience led by America planned to defeat the Red army on the name of religion. The started funding Madrassas and religious leaders. Aziz Rahman Ulfat, in the Crisis of Leadership, published by the founder of the Islami Entiqam Party, Peshawar, 1981, pp. 3-9 opines that “Unfortunately, the aid and assistance given to this leadership by Islamic and western institutions and governments, especially the Arabs, has not been spent properly, not even upto 20 percent of the total, for the holy war and for the benefit of refugees 5percent is swallowed for the cause of Islamization, 30 percent goes to the bank account of so-called leaders” That support of the Pashtuns by funding money and arms then created a vistas of Madrassas where a generation of young Pashtuns were brainwashed on the basis of faith to fight against the Russians and later on against America. Whereas, Zia,s process of Islamization and Jehad was strongly imposed on the Pashtuns as a whole. The Afghan war further resulted in the decline of the traditional elite and the arisen a new elite of Islamist intellectual, mullahs, and small warlords in Afghanistan and Pakistan who become war entrepreneurs by using religion as a cemented weapon. Professor Ismail asserts thar after second world war there has been emerged the ideology of Pan Islamism to use Pakhtuns faith in Islam for Militancy against USSR. Ironically, those who stood for the protection of Pashtuns in Pakistan and Afghanistan, their voices were silenced. The sane echoes of intellectuals were suffocated. Starting from Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan and Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, they were opposed by the than rulers both before and after the partition of India through local Khan and clergies. They were being labled as traitors and anti_faith. Despite many reasons, both these Khans echoed their voices against religious fanaticism in the Pashtun mainland. At current, we have ample examples of intellectuals and patriotic Pashtuns who raised their voices against extremism in the Pashtun society in both Pakistan and Afghanistan__ they have slained by the so called religious forces who have been on the payroll of others. The faces behind the scene who used religion to incite Pashtuns played a satanic tactic by making curriculum war oriented. For instance, the Qaumi Digest, Lahore, October, 1981 title portrait reflects the psyche where a picture of a boy has been given in whose one hand there is a Kalshankove while the other hand was cut. It has been estimated that during the years of Afghan war more than 2500 books in Pashtu and Dari as well as a large number of anti-Soviet propaganda material, had been published by different organizations and institutions in the NWFP & Pashtun area of Balochistan. The place of a Pashtin clergy prior to the Afghan Jihad was not that much important in Pashtun society and in political spher. After the Soviet invasion soon, this sagment became important and enjoyed special privileges and protocols and became the Vehicles of the government. Consequently, they started preaching for the Jihad in every Friday and tried to convince and prepare people against the Red Army and then against America for which they received ample fundings. From here, a culture of redicalization and Islamization penetrated the Pashtun society who became the cannon powder. Soon the Jihadi culture and radicalization became fuel for Jehad factory in Afghanistan. Political analysts believe that the more a society is deprived the more it will incline towards violence in one or other way. The more a society is flexible to reforms and enjoys socioeconomic developments the more it will negate radicalization and blind worship. Dr Fazal ur Rahim Marwat the ex vice chancellor of Bacha Khan University, a historian and political analyst told me that our area was strategically important for the Britishers who tackled it from the same perspective. The area was deprived of all reforms which were introduced in other parts of India for instance the FCR which was introduced in our province and Balochistan ( British Balochistan plus other areas) and continued till 1957. The FCR was still there in the FATA and FCrs till last few years. Consequently, it resulted in deprivation and isolation that further created gaps and resultantly the gap was filled by Islamizatopn and radicalization. The Pashtun as a nation is going through a crucial page of history where violence, economic fragility and deprivation have pierced the society. A huge blow has been denting the nation in then form of Islamization and radicalization that have fuelled the deaths of Pashtuns through their fellow beings. What come may, the intellectuals, the political leaders and the tribal men have the responsibility to stand against it and oppose those policy makers who have been involved in it. For it, they have to create consciousness among the Pashtuns and must focus ending deprivation through peaceful means.
