Anti-toy gun protest in Pakhtunkhwa

[Bengal_Tiger]

I am not sure what the people behind this protest's goal is but I think it is to discourage an interest in a martial culture from a young age and instead on a more constructive one focused on education.

That is my guess anyway.

Anti-toy gun protest in Pakhtunkhwa



















In the picture above, on the left, there is a slogan "toy weapons leads to violence", so I think it is indeed about discouraging a martial culture amongst the Pashtuns highly celebrated for their military prowess and warrior history.























Bushra Gohar is there, a senior ANP politician. Fourth from the left in sunglasses.

[Bengal_Tiger]

1. It seems the nationalists believe that the future of the Pakhtun nation in Pakhtunkhwa lies in placing emphasis on education and other such civic values.

Prior to the second world war countries such as Germany and Japan adopted militarism and then after their defeat they embraced pacific behaviour and have now become economic giants. Japanese products made by Hitachi, Toshiba and others adorn shops across the globe and German cars such as Volkswagen, Mercedes and Audi are everywhere too.

2. Pakhtun culture and history is renowned for its celebration of the martial valour and glory of Pakhtuns. Gun ownership is valued and a man who can exact "revenge" for a percieved belittling of his "honour" is seen as a true man and respected and the one who cannot as a coward.

Nationalists in Pakhtunkhwa want to change this mindset.

Pakhtuns are being used as cannon fodder by others to fight wars in Kashmir, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

So nationalists, followers of Bacha Khan (rahmatullahi 'alaih) are stressing.

- Education
- Rejection of violence
- Civic values.

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

It seems Bengal kitten is the official cheerleader of ANP.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Nationalists are unhappy at violence against Pakhtuns and want a peaceful and prosperous Pakhtunkhwa.

This is from a few weeks ago:





The following photos are from August.






Some want to use Pakhtuns as expandable cannon fodder to be used and be killed.


Pashtun nationalists want Pashtuns to live with dignity, education, honour and peace.

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

No to toy weapons yes to drones

[Smarty]

@bengal tiger
yar this is topi drama. Pakhtun students federation in universities of kpk are notorious for possessing guns, they are number 1 in badmashi among all student groups. They are even ahead of islami jamiat e talba.
In karachi they are clearly violating their anti-violence stance. One can say that is result of MQM aggression on pashtuns, but then why shouting non-violence chants.

Even kids of non-martial cultures like toy guns just like all girls like dolls.

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

@bengal tiger
yar this is topi drama. Pakhtun students federation in universities of kpk are notorious for possessing guns, they are number 1 in badmashi among all student groups. They are even ahead of islami jamiat e talba.
In karachi they are clearly violating their anti-violence stance. One can say that is result of MQM aggression on pashtuns, but then why shouting non-violence chants.

Even kids of non-martial cultures like toy guns just like all girls like dolls.

Plus ANP armed criminal gangs and thugs to posing as Lashkar doing Americas bidding by pillaging fellow Pashtuns.

[Smarty]

Plus ANP armed criminal gangs and thugs to posing as Lashkar doing Americas bidding by pillaging fellow Pashtuns.

Worse than that, they became tools of military establishment of pakistan. Before coming into governament, they were known for their anti-establishment stance. In their eagerness to rule, they became yes-boss to pak army. They made swat deal with taliban but on pak army and american pressure, they not only broke it but gave permission to pak army to bomb the hell out of swat (only provincial governament can authorize military operation in province). Recently asfandyar wali was specially invited to give speech on occasion of the military graduation ceremony.

[M17ArnoBaloch]

ban toy guns?

lolllllllllll nooooooooooo i had an awesome childhood playing with these.......

y ban them ??

lolll this will never be banned lollllll

[Bengal_Tiger]

1. At a superficial level this may seem trivial. What is the harm in toy guns? In themselves they may not be dangerous. However there is a wider context to these protests.

2. Promotion of civic values rejection of martial values.

The image of the "brave Pathan" ready to fight, die and be killed is cynically promoted by the Pakistani military-security apparatus so Pashtuns can be used to kill and be killed.

What nationalists want is a rejection of the glorification of violence and martial values and instead for Pashtuns to focus on education and a progressive and peaceful society.

Pakistani establishment: "Pashtuns are violent barbaric backwards people prone to terrorism, extremism. Bomb these tribal areas!"


Pashtun nationalists: "Pashtuns are normal human beings who want to live in peace and must focus on education and civic values."

A few years ago in Lahore, Pashtuns (I think women and children IDPs i.e. refugees in camps) were targeted by local Punjabis and called "terrorists" and the local ANP representative had to come and help them.

The Pakistani regime wants to put the "terrorist" label on Pashtuns and for the world to think "Pashtun = terrorist".

(Pashtuns are second class citizens in Pakistan anyway.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G1IEVs_bR7E

@Tiger Khan

So in short the Pashtun nationalists pictured above and others are essentially trying to tell the world that Pashtuns are not terrorists or barbarians and the way forward for Pashtuns is the embracing of civic values this is why Pashtun nationalists are hostile to Zaid Hamid who wants to encourage Pashtuns to kill and be killed for Pakistani national interests.

There is much more significance to the protests above and the messages about Pashtun culture, identity and the way forward for Pashtuns that they represent than people may think.

[Bengal_Tiger]

As for Karachi.

The ANP may have abandoned Bacha Khan's philosophy there but the ANP is not the BKP (Bacha Khan Party) but the Awami National Party.

The ANP does use violence in Karachi but that is a reaction to the extreme violent nature of the MQM.

The ANP does not use violence against Hindkowans in Peshawar of Hazaras in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or try to intimidate them. The ANP has also argued for the de-militarization of Karachi.

Anyway I am not a spokesman for the ANP and you can ask Toramana or Yusufzai Pakhtun more about this as they are part of the ANP and I am not.

None of this in anyway nullifies Pashtun nationalists call in the north of Pakistan for the embracement of civic values.

It is the ANP who when in power outlawed swara (exchanging of girls for marriage to settle tribal feuds).

This is just one part of their wider programme of promoting civic values in Pakhtunkhwa.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Awami national party workers in "Pakistan" demonstrated against toy guns and now over 18 months later they are banned in Afghanistan.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/22/afghanistan-bans-toy-guns-after-eid-al-fitr-injuries-to-curb-culture-of-violence