Request for Help!

[Mellish]

Hi, I've written a novel which has a Pakhtun lad from Mohmand Agency as a major character - Jahangir Halimzai, the hero of my tale. I've put quite a few chapters up on a writing site where writers help each other. However, despite all my research, I was wondering whether some Pakhtun people could take a look and let me know if I've made any glaring errors. If you come from FATA, all the better. Only read what you want - and thanks in advance for any comments!

Read books online - Escaping the Heat by Will Miller - chapter 1

[Badlun]

I read the first chapter. No doubt you are a very good writer but you may consider the following points

1. What if the boy is not a Mohmand Pashtun but any Muslim or Pakistani or Afghan? It will make no difference with the current plot and characters. Please introduce some more local touch.

2. Words like Peshawar market make no sense as in Peshawar there is no market called Peshawar market. Peshawar is a city of millions and cannot be called a market. You can use names like Shoba market, bar Tahkal market, Qisa khwani bazar or markets names in Mohmand area etc

3. Names of chacters like Jahangir, Faridun etc seem to be Persian not Pashto. You may use names like Aymal, Khoshal, Atal, Lawangeen etc(Search for pure Pashtun names)

4. Although there are many Mohmands in Peshawar but you may use names like Ghalanai etc which are big towns in Mohmand agency.

5. Use the more internationally known spellings like Pashtun, Pashto instead of Pakhtun, Pakhto.

6. I do not know you have opportunity to visit Mohmand agency but your novel should have some references to the rough tough terrain and the mountains there, the passes, the dry land without water and agriculture and political administration there. The Pashtunwali and local customs and norms. It will give real touch to your story and will make it distinct from many thrill or suspense and terror based novels written on Muslim characters in the west.

[Mellish]

Amazing feedback - even after reading one chapter! Many thanks. The names came from khyber.org though I will take your advice and change Faridun. Jahangir was named partly in honour of the amazing squash player. In the novel he has another uncle called Mahwand, a brother called Janan, a sister called Patasa and a family friend (MI5 really) called Shahzar. Are these realistic? The last is a spy, so you may not care so much :-) Once again many thanks for your feedback - great stuff.

[Admin Khan]

The owner of Khyber.org, a brother of mine, is a member here. Perhaps he too can offer you feedback? [MENTION=1620]Omar Usman[/MENTION]

[Badlun]

Amazing feedback - even after reading one chapter! Many thanks. The names came from khyber.org though I will take your advice and change Faridun. Jahangir was named partly in honour of the amazing squash player. In the novel he has another uncle called Mahwand, a brother called Janan, a sister called Patasa and a family friend (MI5 really) called Shahzar. Are these realistic? The last is a spy, so you may not care so much :-) Once again many thanks for your feedback - great stuff.

These other names are good and truly representative. You have great talent. Publish your novel from some refuted publishing company. Have some you tube, face book and other publicity. You may contact some Pashto cultural governmental and non governmental organizations and terror fighting entities.

Novel should have thrill, aesthetics, plot but also a useful message.

[Mellish]

I have another question - I hope it's OK to ask, even though these things are somewhat sensitive, especially with the Malala business going on - so I ask the following as external to whatever the TTP etc might do...

I read somewhere that Pakhtunwali doesn't ordinarily allow the killing of women - except I assume in matters of Tor. For example, in a clan revenge, one does not shoot the women or children. Is this true? Are there any specific rules about the safety of women and children doing hostilities?

I read about similar rules of revenge in traditional Albania. As far as I can tell, for the first 24 hours they don't care who they kill - and killing off the male line is sometimes attempted. After 24 hours, one (supposedly) may only take revenge on the perpetrator of the crime. I say 'supposedly', because, like Pakhtunwali, the kanun and hakmarrja laws were unwritten and only certain elders knew all the rules.

Are there similar complexities under Pakhtunwali that you could explain to me?

Thanks

[Badlun]

Please read about Pashtunwali from various resources which may include this site which has some good collection of information on this subject. I will refer to some as

http://www.pashtunforums.com/pashtun-culture/5740.htm

Pashtunwali


Pashtunwali literally means the way of the Pashtuns, it’s the rules and regulations and laws of the Pashtun tribes which protected the world’s biggest tribal society. These rules are responsible for the survival of the Pashtun tribes for over 2000 years. Some of the rules go back to the days of Adam and eve and are still puritan today

NANEWATEI: Under Nanewatei a penitent enemy is forgiven and the feuding factions resume peaceful and friendly relations. Thus it creates a congenial atmosphere for peaceful co-existence and mutual understanding through eventual reconciliation.

TEEGA OR KANRAY: Teega or Kanray is cessation of bloodshed between contending parties. Teega (putting down of a stone) in other words means a temporary truce declared by a Jirga. The word stone is used figuratively as actually no stone is put at the time of the cessation of hostilities. Once the truce is enforced, no party dares violate it for fear of punitive measures.

BADAL: (Eye for an Eye) Self-respect and sensitivity to insult is another essential trait of Pashtun character. The poorest among them has his own sense of dignity and honor and he vehemently refuses to submit to any insult. In fact every Pashtun considers himself equal if not better than his fellow tribesmen and an insult is, therefore, taken as scurrilous reflection on his character. An insult is sure to evoke insult and murder is likely to lead to a murder.

MELMASTIA: Pashtun have been described as one of the most hospitable peoples of the world. They consider Melmastia or generous hospitality as one of the finest virtues and greet their guest warmly with a broad smile on their faces. A Pashtun feels delighted to receive a guest regardless of his past relations or acquaintance and prepares a delicious meal for him and offers up to their ability the finest meals available to them.

TOR: Pashtuns are sensitive about the honor of their women folk and slight touching of the women is at times considered a serious and an intolerable offence. The cases of adultery and illicit relations are put down with iron hand in and no quarter is given to culprits either male or female. Casting of an evil eye on woman is tantamount to imperil one's life. Both sexes, therefore, scrupulously avoid indulgence in immoral practices.

GHUNDI: Ghundi is a classic case of balance of power in tribal areas. It is derived from Pashto word Ghund, meaning a political party but it is used for an alliance. As modern states enter into bilateral agreements for promotion of trade, cultivation of friendly relations and mutual defense, similarly various sections of a tribe align themselves in blocs or Ghunds to safeguard their common interests. Ghundi is entered into defeat the aggressive and nefarious designs of a hostile neighbor. In tribal fighting the Ghundi members espouse their mutual interests against their common enemy and act as a corporate body with all the resources at their command.

LOKHAY WARKAWAL: Lokhay Warkawal literally means `giving of a pot' but it implies the protection of an individual or a tribe. A weaker tribe to a stronger one with the object of ensuring its safety and security generally gives Lokhay. It is accepted in the form of a sacrificial animal such as a goat or a sheep. When a tribe accepts a Lokhay from another tribe, it undertakes the responsibility of safeguarding the latter's interests against its enemies and protects it at all costs.

LASHKAR: Lashkar is an armed party, which goes out from a village or tribe for warlike purposes. The Lashkar may consist of a hundred to several thousand men. The Lashkar assembled for Jihad (Holy Struggle) is usually very large. The decisions of a Jirga, if violated by a party, are enforced through a tribal Lashkar. The Lashkar thus performs the functions of police in the event of a breach of tribal law.

CHIGHA: Chigha means a pursuit party. The Chigha party is formed or taken out in case armed bandits with the object of lifting cattle, looting property or abducting an inmate of the village, raid a village. Composed of armed persons, the Chigha party goes in pursuit of the raiders to affect the release of the cattle etc or recover the stolen property.

TARR: A mutual accord between two tribes or villagers themselves with regard to a certain matter is called Tarr. For instance, after sowing wheat or any other crop, the people of the village agree not to let loose their cattle to graze in the fields and thus damage the crop. The man whose cattle are found grazing in the fields in violation of this agreement has no right to claim compensation for an injury caused to his cattle by the owner of the field.

MLA TARR: Mla Tarr, which literally means `girding up of loins' denotes two things. Firstly it is used for all such members of a family who are capable of carrying and using firearms. Secondly, it means espousing the cause of a man against his enemies and providing him with an armed party. The tribesmen resort to Mla Tarr when a person belonging to their village or tribe is attacked, mal-treated or disgraced by their enemies.

BADRAGHA: An armed party escorting a fugitive or a visitor to his destination is called Badragha. Badragha is a guarantee for the safety of a man who is either hotly pursued by his enemies or there is an apprehension of his being killed on his way home. An armed party accompanies such a man as Badragha or `escort' to ensure his safe return to the place of his abode. Badragha is never attacked by the second party because of fear of reprisals and the blood feud that is sure to follow if an attack is made on it. The Badragha convoy can be depended upon only within its own geographical limits; beyond it, the people of other tribes take the charge to convoy the traveler.

BILGA: The word Bilga is used for stolen property. A man is held responsible for theft or burglary if any of the stolen articles are recovered from his house. In such a case he is obliged to make good the loss sustained by the afflicted person. He, however, stands absolved of Bilga if he discloses the source or the persons from whom he had purchased the stolen articles.

BOTA: Bota means carrying away. It is a sort of retaliatory action against an aggressor. For instance, if a creditor fails to recover his debt from the debtor, he resorts to Bota by seizing his cattle or one of his kith and kin. The creditor keeps them as hostages till his dues are fully realized or the debtor has furnished a security to make payment within a specified period to the creditor.

BARAMTA: Baramta like Bota is resorted to when the grievances of a party are not redressed or a debtor adopts delaying tactics in respect of payment of a debt to the creditor. The word Baramta is derived from Persian word Baramad, which means recovery or restitution of property etc. Under Baramta hostages are held to ransom till the accused returns the claimed property. The Pashtuns consider it an act against their sense of honor and contrary to the principles of Pashtunwali to lay their hands on dependent classes such as blacksmiths, tailors, barbers and butchers etc belonging to the debtor's village.

BALANDRA OR ASHAR: Balandra or Ashar can be best described as a village aid program under which a particular task is accomplished on the basis of mutual cooperation and assistance. At the time of sowing or harvesting, the villagers lend a helping hand to the man who seeks their help. They take out their pair of bullocks to plough his fields at sowing time and assist him in reaping his crops at the time of harvest. The man, thus obliged, by the fellow villagers holds a feast in their honor in the evening.

MEERATA: Meerata means complete annihilation of the male members of a family by brutal assassination. This is not a custom but a criminal act. Under Meerata, the stronger member of family used to assassinate their weak but near relatives with the sole object of removing them from the line of inheritance and gaining forcible possession of their lands, houses and other property. The tribal law seriously views this kind of cold-blooded murder and persons responsible for such an inhumane and ghastly act cannot escape the wrath of Pashtuns. The Jirga immediately assembles to take suitable action against the culprits. The penalty is usually in the form of setting on fire their houses and other property and expulsion of the culprits from their area.

SAZ: The word Saz is used for blood money or compensation in lieu of killing. Under the custom of Saz a person who feels penitent after committing a deliberate murder, approaches the deceased's family through a Jirga and offers to make payment of blood money to end enmity between them. All hostilities come to an end between the parties after acceptance of Saz. Sometimes the payment of compensation takes the form of giving a girl in marriage to the aggrieved party. It is also called Swarah, which binds together the two parties in blood relations and thus helps in eradicating ill will and feelings of enmity.

ITBAR: Itbar, which means trust, or guaranteed assurance or is the arch of society, which is governed by un-written laws or conventions. All business including contracts relating to sale and mortgage or disposal of property, is transacted on the basis of trust or Itbar. Such transactions are verbal and are entered into in the presence of the village elders or a few witnesses. The violation of Itbar is considered to be dishonorable act, un-becoming of gentleman and contrary to the norms of Pashtunwali.

HAMSAYA: The word Hamsaya stands for a neighbor but in Pashto it applies to a man who abandons his home either due to poverty or blood feud and seeks protection of an elder of another village. In this way the latter becomes his client or vassal. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the protector to save his Hamsaya from insult or injury from any source.

[Badlun]

I have another question - I hope it's OK to ask, even though these things are somewhat sensitive, especially with the Malala business going on - so I ask the following as external to whatever the TTP etc might do...

I read somewhere that Pakhtunwali doesn't ordinarily allow the killing of women - except I assume in matters of Tor. For example, in a clan revenge, one does not shoot the women or children. Is this true? Are there any specific rules about the safety of women and children doing hostilities?

I read about similar rules of revenge in traditional Albania. As far as I can tell, for the first 24 hours they don't care who they kill - and killing off the male line is sometimes attempted. After 24 hours, one (supposedly) may only take revenge on the perpetrator of the crime. I say 'supposedly', because, like Pakhtunwali, the kanun and hakmarrja laws were unwritten and only certain elders knew all the rules.

Are there similar complexities under Pakhtunwali that you could explain to me?

Thanks

Tor is the opportunity where namos, nang and ghairat(honor) are invoked and both man and woman involved in extra-matrimonial or premarital sex are killed.

Restricting women only to 4 walls of the house is the mixture of extremist Islam with Pashtunwali. In Mohmand agency I have seen many women working in fields and taking care of herds of animals. In urban areas where religion is stronger Pashtun men do not allow unaccompanied women and consider it against ghairat. This is more religious than a Pashtun custom.

Ordinarily Pashtun women are not killed and as war is a totally man phenomenon, women are usually not killed in wars.

[Badlun]

Here is more on Pashtunwali

http://www.pashtunforums.com/pashto-books/23970.htm

[Mellish]

Interesting about seeing women working in the fields. Could this be only where labour is short? Say, during harvest, or in a small family or village? It strikes me the freedom of women varies considerably across Islam, with some arguing that the Qur'an allows for equality of women albeit with men simply taking the lead - others saying full purda is required. In ancient Persia and in ancient Athens, women lived in the equivalent of purda. So I assumed that the underlying culture simply kept doing whatever it had done possibly for millennia, and found adequate leeway in the religious texts to justify that. Hence the variation in women's freedoms we see today. I thought the Pakhtuns were very keen on purda even in rural areas, with the lavender-coloured burka for going outdoors being more a Pakhtun phenomenon. I assume that the level of safety that people feel generally will also affect their view on the need for purda, and I note in the Understanding FATA survey (Understanding FATA Volume – V Launched | Understanding FATA) people aren't feeling as safe as even the past few years - see page 6 particularly. (The Survey intro noted that it wasn't able to access quite few areas that were in the hands of militants, and was more accurately a survey of 'secure' areas of FATA...) Do you think that when the Pakhtun feel safe, purdah might not be so tightly enforced?

[Mellish]

Tor is the opportunity where namos, nang and ghairat(honor) are invoked and both man and woman involved in extra-matrimonial or premarital sex are killed.

Restricting women only to 4 walls of the house is the mixture of extremist Islam with Pashtunwali. In Mohmand agency I have seen many women working in fields and taking care of herds of animals. In urban areas where religion is stronger Pashtun men do not allow unaccompanied women and consider it against ghairat. This is more religious than a Pashtun custom.

Ordinarily Pashtun women are not killed and as war is a totally man phenomenon, women are usually not killed in wars.

Interesting about seeing women working in the fields. Could this be only where labour is short? Say, during harvest, or in a small family or village? It strikes me the freedom of women varies considerably across Islam, with some arguing that the Qur'an allows for equality of women albeit with men simply taking the lead - others saying full purda is required. In ancient Persia and in ancient Athens, women lived in the equivalent of purda. So I assumed that the underlying culture simply kept doing whatever it had done possibly for millennia, and found adequate leeway in the religious texts to justify that. Hence the variation in women's freedoms we see today. I thought the Pakhtuns were very keen on purda even in rural areas, with the lavender-coloured burka for going outdoors being more a Pakhtun phenomenon. I assume that the level of safety that people feel generally will also affect their view on the need for purda, and I note in the Understanding FATA survey (Understanding FATA Volume – V Launched | Understanding FATA) people aren't feeling as safe as even the past few years - see page 6 particularly. (The Survey intro noted that it wasn't able to access quite few areas that were in the hands of militants, and was more accurately a survey of 'secure' areas of FATA...) Do you think that when the Pakhtun feel safe, purdah might not be so tightly enforced?

[Badlun]

For detailed discussion on the situation of women in Pashtun society you may join here

http://www.pashtunforums.com/creative-writing-research/12188.htm

Whatever I have seen in Pashtun society is that after the introduction of Islam as such or particularly extremist Islam , purda is either a religious duty or a social symbol.

There was a time especially before 1979 that a highly religious person or a Mullah was a man of very low social rank. Pashtuns used to call them supis(sufi), mullahs, talib, chanrey which were mostly derogatory words but after the role of religious pundits in the post soviet union invasion on Afghanistan , Mullah became the decision maker and the khan or elite Pashtun was sidelined. Mullah now occupied both hujra and jumat.

On these lines a purda dar(veiled) woman carried more respect and thus the virus of purda and segregation of women spread amongst Pashtun women as Pashtuns were and are at the forefront of the so called jihads and terrorism.

In Mohmand agency, Kunarr, Karak, Waziristan , Bajaur and other far flung areas where religion is not organized even today women work in fields and grazing areas openly and even in many areas men depend on women financially. I have seen it with my own eyes. It is just the culture of those areas not that there is shortage of men or some other reasons. It is equally in sowing, harvesting and in grazing or other agricultural or economic activities.

Similarly in some very few developed areas of kabul, Peshawar and Mardan you can see few Pashtun women with open faces and may see them alone walking or shopping.

I do not think Persia before the present Mullahs or Greece had such a level of imprisonment of Pashtun women in their own houses. Catholics monks cover their heads but they have the liberty to drive and move around alone. Pashtun women do not have these liberties.

[khushal]

I have another question - I hope it's OK to ask, even though these things are somewhat sensitive, especially with the Malala business going on - so I ask the following as external to whatever the TTP etc might do...

I read somewhere that Pakhtunwali doesn't ordinarily allow the killing of women - except I assume in matters of Tor. For example, in a clan revenge, one does not shoot the women or children. Is this true? Are there any specific rules about the safety of women and children doing hostilities?

I read about similar rules of revenge in traditional Albania. As far as I can tell, for the first 24 hours they don't care who they kill - and killing off the male line is sometimes attempted. After 24 hours, one (supposedly) may only take revenge on the perpetrator of the crime. I say 'supposedly', because, like Pakhtunwali, the kanun and hakmarrja laws were unwritten and only certain elders knew all the rules.

Are there similar complexities under Pakhtunwali that you could explain to me?

Thanks

You are right, In revenge, they leave the women and children alone. It is actually considered baighyrat (unhonorable) to target females or children, even in cases of Tor, I have seen it where they left the woman alone and only killed the male.

Ask any question you like.

[khushal]

Interesting about seeing women working in the fields. Could this be only where labour is short? Say, during harvest, or in a small family or village? It strikes me the freedom of women varies considerably across Islam, with some arguing that the Qur'an allows for equality of women albeit with men simply taking the lead - others saying full purda is required. In ancient Persia and in ancient Athens, women lived in the equivalent of purda. So I assumed that the underlying culture simply kept doing whatever it had done possibly for millennia, and found adequate leeway in the religious texts to justify that. Hence the variation in women's freedoms we see today. I thought the Pakhtuns were very keen on purda even in rural areas, with the lavender-coloured burka for going outdoors being more a Pakhtun phenomenon. I assume that the level of safety that people feel generally will also affect their view on the need for purda, and I note in the Understanding FATA survey (Understanding FATA Volume – V Launched | Understanding FATA) people aren't feeling as safe as even the past few years - see page 6 particularly. (The Survey intro noted that it wasn't able to access quite few areas that were in the hands of militants, and was more accurately a survey of 'secure' areas of FATA...) Do you think that when the Pakhtun feel safe, purdah might not be so tightly enforced?

The burqa is not of Pashtun origin but of Persian origin and purda is a farsi term and it predates Islam. In the vast majority of rural pashtunland, you cant see the burqa. Most women wear a simple shawl.

You are correct, Purda is more enforced during time of conflict since women are more victims than men are. Purda is considered more of a safety for women than anything else.

[Mellish]

For detailed discussion on the situation of women in Pashtun society you may join here

http://www.pashtunforums.com/creative-writing-research/12188.htm

Whatever I have seen in Pashtun society is that after the introduction of Islam as such or particularly extremist Islam , purda is either a religious duty or a social symbol.

There was a time especially before 1979 that a highly religious person or a Mullah was a man of very low social rank. Pashtuns used to call them supis(sufi), mullahs, talib, chanrey which were mostly derogatory words but after the role of religious pundits in the post soviet union invasion on Afghanistan , Mullah became the decision maker and the khan or elite Pashtun was sidelined. Mullah now occupied both hujra and jumat.

On these lines a purda dar(veiled) woman carried more respect and thus the virus of purda and segregation of women spread amongst Pashtun women as Pashtuns were and are at the forefront of the so called jihads and terrorism.

In Mohmand agency, Kunarr, Karak, Waziristan , Bajaur and other far flung areas where religion is not organized even today women work in fields and grazing areas openly and even in many areas men depend on women financially. I have seen it with my own eyes. It is just the culture of those areas not that there is shortage of men or some other reasons. It is equally in sowing, harvesting and in grazing or other agricultural or economic activities.

Similarly in some very few developed areas of kabul, Peshawar and Mardan you can see few Pashtun women with open faces and may see them alone walking or shopping.

I do not think Persia before the present Mullahs or Greece had such a level of imprisonment of Pashtun women in their own houses. Catholics monks cover their heads but they have the liberty to drive and move around alone. Pashtun women do not have these liberties.

In ancient Greece it varied. The Spartans, with their warrior school and battlefield homosexuality, did not seem to need to cover their women to the same extent. Other Greeks cities were surprised to see Spartan women showing their thighs. Perhaps it was allowed as a sexual inducement to marriage. At the opposite end of the scale, the women in Athens were housebound, for when the Persians invaded and the Athenians had to evacuate, there was one citizen who resisted because of the dishonour of allowing his wife to leave the compound, and had to be compelled.

Very interesting comments about purda not being as rigorous as Arab and Persian customs - many thanks for your first hand input on this. The comments on the Mullah and purda since the Russian invasion seem to suggest that war and religion often go hand in hand - and not just in Islam either.