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Never use the word "Pashtunwali"
Pashtunwali, was first used by the Britishers and a few disgraced people of our own kind like Arbabs of Peshawar (hope I don't offend any of you). They were not able to defeat and rule over us but they certainly divided us. The original Pashtun code is called "Afghaniat" which is a triangle of honor code encompassing anything withing the following three. The so called Pashtunwali was compiled and some of the new strange stuff replicated from other tribal people under the British rule in Africa, etc.
They tried to introduce this in order to centralize the highly decentralized and totalitarian tribal Pashtuns of the other side of the durand line so they could rule over them. Which of course didn't work as for their 140 years of rule over the Indian sub-continent they had to fight repeated wars with Pashtuns and lose thousands of soldiers for 100 years.
Three main elements of Afghaniat:
1 - Women: Women are regarded as the jewel of a Pashtun's household and is at the highest level of importance to them. You would cut a Pashtun into pieces but he will not give up on their women (mother, sister, wife, extended family). They would temporarily relocate from their land to other places so their women be safe from the intruders to fight to the last drop of their blood--so the honor.
2 - Land: Regarded as holly and giving it up to the strangers is the dirtiest thing one can imagine. Though a bit changed for the last three decades, a Pashtun would die from hunger but not sale his land to others--so the honor. That is why they are so much attached to the land and defending it to the last drop of their blood.
3 - Weapon: Weapon is the jewel/fashion of a Pashtun as is gold to a women. This is a defining factor to the warsome character of the Pashtun--so the honor.
Of course there are so many other things in Pashtuns' code of honor, Afghaniat, such as protection of a person taking refuge in your house but are lesser in importance than the three in above. Not sure if you know but before the war broke out in Afghanistan there was no visa between Germany and Afghanistan and that for the very reason which when nazi Germans were defeated by the allies in wwII, all the countries of the world handed over the German diplomats to Americans but Pashtuns. Ghazi Amanullah khan asked for a loya jirga in which the tribal elders stated handing over a guest to its enemies is against the honor and Afghaniat and rejected the Americans' call for their handover. Brits and Americans threatened but Afghanistan firmly stood for their word and honor. So once Germany was back to its feet had the best relationship with Afghanistan that any two countries would ever had and required no visas for them. The same thing applies to Bin Laden whom Taliban did not handover almost 90 years after as well.
I just wanted to recommend people to try to avoid use of the term Pashtunwali in discussions and that is it for now.
Take care and peace
They tried to introduce this in order to centralize the highly decentralized and totalitarian tribal Pashtuns of the other side of the durand line so they could rule over them. Which of course didn't work as for their 140 years of rule over the Indian sub-continent they had to fight repeated wars with Pashtuns and lose thousands of soldiers for 100 years.
Three main elements of Afghaniat:
1 - Women: Women are regarded as the jewel of a Pashtun's household and is at the highest level of importance to them. You would cut a Pashtun into pieces but he will not give up on their women (mother, sister, wife, extended family). They would temporarily relocate from their land to other places so their women be safe from the intruders to fight to the last drop of their blood--so the honor.
2 - Land: Regarded as holly and giving it up to the strangers is the dirtiest thing one can imagine. Though a bit changed for the last three decades, a Pashtun would die from hunger but not sale his land to others--so the honor. That is why they are so much attached to the land and defending it to the last drop of their blood.
3 - Weapon: Weapon is the jewel/fashion of a Pashtun as is gold to a women. This is a defining factor to the warsome character of the Pashtun--so the honor.
Of course there are so many other things in Pashtuns' code of honor, Afghaniat, such as protection of a person taking refuge in your house but are lesser in importance than the three in above. Not sure if you know but before the war broke out in Afghanistan there was no visa between Germany and Afghanistan and that for the very reason which when nazi Germans were defeated by the allies in wwII, all the countries of the world handed over the German diplomats to Americans but Pashtuns. Ghazi Amanullah khan asked for a loya jirga in which the tribal elders stated handing over a guest to its enemies is against the honor and Afghaniat and rejected the Americans' call for their handover. Brits and Americans threatened but Afghanistan firmly stood for their word and honor. So once Germany was back to its feet had the best relationship with Afghanistan that any two countries would ever had and required no visas for them. The same thing applies to Bin Laden whom Taliban did not handover almost 90 years after as well.
I just wanted to recommend people to try to avoid use of the term Pashtunwali in discussions and that is it for now.
Take care and peace
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