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Why all terrorists are Pashtuns?
Why all the terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan are mostly Pashtuns? This is a question which makes me uneasy and I wish we can separate the terrorism and Pashtunwali. Terrorism has been concentrated in Pashtun areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, besides the Terrorism in Iraq, Spain, Srilanka, Colombia and few other places in the world. Pashtun areas present the worst scene. In Afghanistan 100 % suicide bombers and fighters against the Afghan and other forces are Pashtuns. In Pakistan they are almost 80%. Majority are young Pashtun boys and girls.
Why this is so? It’s mostly because of the lethal combination of Pashtunwali and Wahabi Deobandi extremist Islam. Two fires have been merged into a gigantic flame. Pashtuns being sincere, simple, independent minded people and Wahabi teachings of promulgation of Sharia without state make a very dangerous mixture and threat to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the world at large.
I know that Terrorism is a multidimensional phenomenon. The lethal combination of Pashtunwali and extremist Islam is the major cause of terrorism -not the only cause - army , intelligence agencies , new world order, new great game, poverty, ignorance , illiteracy, misunderstanding of religious teachings , ethnicity, separatism, nationalism, sense of deprivation, aggravation, oppression ,economic or cultural disadvantage, non democracy, wrong globalization ,inferiority complex, etc can be other the causes and reasons.
For me in our context Pashtunwali and extremist Islam are the main reason of terrorism, suicide bombings and all other such evils. Why this is so. The simple answer is because it’s happening there, in Pashtun areas physically practically no where else. I personally know that these are Pashtuns who explode themselves, very few from other ethnicities in Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Iraq yes they are Arabs, in Srilanka Tamils.
If some one says that this is because of others that Pashtuns became terrorists or terrorism is present in Pashtunland. But you might have heard the story that one judge arrested the man who was robbed instead of arresting the thief, because the man provided the opportunity of theft to the thief. This is we Pashtuns who let others to play with us, we are susceptible, the fault lies with us that Arabs and Americans and Punjabis and others play with us. Why we let them to do so .Why they don’t do it with others why with us only. We have to dismantle the lethal combination of extremist Islam and Pashtunwali; otherwise Pashtuns will suffer further and will be more victimized.
Pashtuns as a whole are not extremists .I use the word extremist for Islamists not for Pashtuns and for me the mixture of Pashtunwali and extremist Islam is lethal not Pashtunwali separately or Islam as a religion separately. When Islam in the shape of extremism, fundamentalism, obscurantism , Puritanism , fanaticism, immoderation, zealotry, activism, intemperance, radicalism without moderation is merged with the innocence, sincerity , hospitality, honesty , genuineness, earnestness, naturalness, unexpectedness, authenticity and candor of Pashtuns , then it becomes dangerous.
Here one may note that for me Pashtunwali is positive, extremist Islam is negative. Pashtunwali is a fertile soil for the weeds of extremist Islam where it flourishes with vigor. The more Pashtuns are less religious extremists, lesser will be the chances of terrorism. I always suggest that the best way to combat terrorism in Pashtun areas is to make the Pashtuns aware of their Pashtunwali and to create distance between Pashtuns and extremist Islam or any ideology because Pashtuns are simple. sometimes simpleton or even stupid and are easily deceived and cheated by others
I have first hand experience of the observing extremist Islam in Pashtuns and have enough knowledge of ground reality. The solution is to make Pashtuns more practicing Pashtuns and limit the religion only to metaphysical beliefs, worship and a kind of morality not interfering in social, political and other aspects of life.
I am not against Islam. I am against extremism, obscurantism, fanaticism and religious bigotry. My concern is about the combination of the Extremist Islam in the shape of Taliban, Salafism and Al Qaida and Pashtunwali. The religious extremism in Pashtuns can be minimized by making Pashtunwali and Pashtun nationalism and Pashtun culture and fine arts more dominant in Pashtun society.
Pashtuns were not religious extremists before the invasion of the erstwhile USSR IN 1979. When the religion was brought to defeat communism and atheism, there Pashtunwali and extremist Islam were mixed and this lethal combination till today is a nightmare for Pashtuns. Pashtuns were very secular before that period. Mulla had his role limited to mosque and religious ceremonies and he was not at all interfering in social, political and economic life of Pashtuns. Pashtuns were at peace with each other and with others. Once the bigotry of Deobandi extremists and terrorism of Salafis and Wahabis were brought to Pashtunland, the fire made became a gigantic flame which is till today burning Pashtuns, Muslims and the whole world.
I shall conclude my essay with the suggestion that Pashtunwali should become the norm and value of Pashtuns culture and society. Islam should remain only a religion for spiritual and religious or moral purposes only. Otherwise the emotions of Pashtunwali and religious extremism of political Islam will become a doomsday for Pashtuns, Muslims and the world.
Why all the terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan are mostly Pashtuns? This is a question which makes me uneasy and I wish we can separate the terrorism and Pashtunwali. Terrorism has been concentrated in Pashtun areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, besides the Terrorism in Iraq, Spain, Srilanka, Colombia and few other places in the world. Pashtun areas present the worst scene. In Afghanistan 100 % suicide bombers and fighters against the Afghan and other forces are Pashtuns. In Pakistan they are almost 80%. Majority are young Pashtun boys and girls.
Why this is so? It’s mostly because of the lethal combination of Pashtunwali and Wahabi Deobandi extremist Islam. Two fires have been merged into a gigantic flame. Pashtuns being sincere, simple, independent minded people and Wahabi teachings of promulgation of Sharia without state make a very dangerous mixture and threat to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the world at large.
I know that Terrorism is a multidimensional phenomenon. The lethal combination of Pashtunwali and extremist Islam is the major cause of terrorism -not the only cause - army , intelligence agencies , new world order, new great game, poverty, ignorance , illiteracy, misunderstanding of religious teachings , ethnicity, separatism, nationalism, sense of deprivation, aggravation, oppression ,economic or cultural disadvantage, non democracy, wrong globalization ,inferiority complex, etc can be other the causes and reasons.
For me in our context Pashtunwali and extremist Islam are the main reason of terrorism, suicide bombings and all other such evils. Why this is so. The simple answer is because it’s happening there, in Pashtun areas physically practically no where else. I personally know that these are Pashtuns who explode themselves, very few from other ethnicities in Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Iraq yes they are Arabs, in Srilanka Tamils.
If some one says that this is because of others that Pashtuns became terrorists or terrorism is present in Pashtunland. But you might have heard the story that one judge arrested the man who was robbed instead of arresting the thief, because the man provided the opportunity of theft to the thief. This is we Pashtuns who let others to play with us, we are susceptible, the fault lies with us that Arabs and Americans and Punjabis and others play with us. Why we let them to do so .Why they don’t do it with others why with us only. We have to dismantle the lethal combination of extremist Islam and Pashtunwali; otherwise Pashtuns will suffer further and will be more victimized.
Pashtuns as a whole are not extremists .I use the word extremist for Islamists not for Pashtuns and for me the mixture of Pashtunwali and extremist Islam is lethal not Pashtunwali separately or Islam as a religion separately. When Islam in the shape of extremism, fundamentalism, obscurantism , Puritanism , fanaticism, immoderation, zealotry, activism, intemperance, radicalism without moderation is merged with the innocence, sincerity , hospitality, honesty , genuineness, earnestness, naturalness, unexpectedness, authenticity and candor of Pashtuns , then it becomes dangerous.
Here one may note that for me Pashtunwali is positive, extremist Islam is negative. Pashtunwali is a fertile soil for the weeds of extremist Islam where it flourishes with vigor. The more Pashtuns are less religious extremists, lesser will be the chances of terrorism. I always suggest that the best way to combat terrorism in Pashtun areas is to make the Pashtuns aware of their Pashtunwali and to create distance between Pashtuns and extremist Islam or any ideology because Pashtuns are simple. sometimes simpleton or even stupid and are easily deceived and cheated by others
I have first hand experience of the observing extremist Islam in Pashtuns and have enough knowledge of ground reality. The solution is to make Pashtuns more practicing Pashtuns and limit the religion only to metaphysical beliefs, worship and a kind of morality not interfering in social, political and other aspects of life.
I am not against Islam. I am against extremism, obscurantism, fanaticism and religious bigotry. My concern is about the combination of the Extremist Islam in the shape of Taliban, Salafism and Al Qaida and Pashtunwali. The religious extremism in Pashtuns can be minimized by making Pashtunwali and Pashtun nationalism and Pashtun culture and fine arts more dominant in Pashtun society.
Pashtuns were not religious extremists before the invasion of the erstwhile USSR IN 1979. When the religion was brought to defeat communism and atheism, there Pashtunwali and extremist Islam were mixed and this lethal combination till today is a nightmare for Pashtuns. Pashtuns were very secular before that period. Mulla had his role limited to mosque and religious ceremonies and he was not at all interfering in social, political and economic life of Pashtuns. Pashtuns were at peace with each other and with others. Once the bigotry of Deobandi extremists and terrorism of Salafis and Wahabis were brought to Pashtunland, the fire made became a gigantic flame which is till today burning Pashtuns, Muslims and the whole world.
I shall conclude my essay with the suggestion that Pashtunwali should become the norm and value of Pashtuns culture and society. Islam should remain only a religion for spiritual and religious or moral purposes only. Otherwise the emotions of Pashtunwali and religious extremism of political Islam will become a doomsday for Pashtuns, Muslims and the world.
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