Is knowing Pashto a requirement to be a Pashtun?

[Khanisking]

Because we have friends who are born of Pashtun parents (either one or both) but speak no Pashto at all and when we're sitting down and discussing something in Pashto, they're just like outsiders for us. Then we switch to Urdu for their sake. But then again, there are many others who are at least making an effort and genuinely trying to learn the language.

But I'd still say that the basic recognition of a Pashtun is his language. It is not only a mark of him being a Pashtun but it also tells which area and which village he's from. So it's really important, if not mandatory.

I disagree here,
If you CAN NOT speak Pashto, It doesnt matter,

If your parents are both Pashtuns, you are also a Pashtun.


that is it.

[Master Khan]

I disagree here,
If you CAN NOT speak Pashto, It doesnt matter,

If your parents are both Pashtuns, you are also a Pashtun.


that is it.

Nope You are Half Pashtun then I am afraid.
A Pashtun not knowing pashto is not really a pashtun...why, because their parents didn't care about pashto and instend speak English etc with them.
Until they learn pashto then they will be consider full pashtun.

[tor_khan]

I disagree here,
If you CAN NOT speak Pashto, It doesnt matter,

If your parents are both Pashtuns, you are also a Pashtun.


that is it.

I agree with the other posters here. Being Pashtoon is not just racial.

Chi Pukhto dala na darzee, no bya sanga Pukhtoon shwe?

Surely it's a source of disappointment for all those people who *claim* to be Pashtoon, but can barely speak the language to hear this. In my mind, that eventually puts you outside the Pashtoon culture.

My father's family are descended from Qutb Shah, who was Arab. I happen to live in an Arab country and when I tell this to my Arab compatriots at first they call me an "honoury" Arab - their conversations continue and I just watch and pitch in when I can. The trouble is culturally and linguistically, I'm not Arab and even now whilst I've got a fairly good understanding, I don't feel Arab. I feel Pashtoon and I care about Pashto more. I care more about the Pashtoon nation and what I can do for it. I care about our culture and I insist that we use Pashto at home.

Pashto is my lifeblood. Pukhto zma wina da au zma jwand de.

[Master Khan]

I agree with the other posters here. Being Pashtoon is not just racial.

Chi Pukhto dala na darzee, no bya sanga Pukhtoon shwe?

Surely it's a source of disappointment for all those people who *claim* to be Pashtoon, but can barely speak the language to hear this. In my mind, that eventually puts you outside the Pashtoon culture.

My father's family are descended from Qutb Shah, who was Arab. I happen to live in an Arab country and when I tell this to my Arab compatriots at first they call me an "honoury" Arab - their conversations continue and I just watch and pitch in when I can. The trouble is culturally and linguistically, I'm not Arab and even now whilst I've got a fairly good understanding, I don't feel Arab. I feel Pashtoon and I care about Pashto more. I care more about the Pashtoon nation and what I can do for it. I care about our culture and I insist that we use Pashto at home.

Pashto is my lifeblood. Pukhto zma wina da au zma jwand de.

Khair Di Tor Khan Wrora..
Chi Pashto na dirzi no bia sangay pashtun eh.

Taal Buo Pa Lar Da Maranuo Sara Zaam
Zo Yam Pakhtoon Da Pakhtanuoo Sara Zaam
Wayi Aghyaar Chiy Da Douzakh Jaba Da
Zo Pa Janat Tha Da Pakhto Sara Zam.

[Pakhtunzai]

what does that make me then??

[Dinosaur Khan]

Tor Khan has explained well

[Master Khan]

I really hope we didn't upset our non-speaking pashtun brothers and sisters.
As long as you trying to learn and adopt to pashto then thats great and good luck with that.

[Fish]

Salam Everyone,

I am a new member of this forum and I am an Afghan from Kabul. My background is a Pashtun, but my language is Dari and I will always be proud of being Pashtun. No person can take this pride away from me.

This is a very interesting topic.

Some people whether in this forum or any other forum or even in person get too emotional when they hear that some Pashtuns are not able to speak Pashtu.

Being a Pashtun does not mean the person has to speak the language, but rather if their parents were born in a Pashtun Family. I am currently residing in USA and I speak English does this make me an American? So I am no longer an Afghan? Pashtuns in Pakistan some speak Punjabi are they Punabi now? Some Hazaras and Tajiks speak Pashtun in Logar, Ghazni, Helmand, Farah and Herat so are they now Pashtun?

It's not the language that makes a person Pashtun, but their blood and family.

Reading the posts of some of the members of this forum now makes me understand why so many Dari speaking Pashtuns are not willing to consider themselve Pashtun any longer. It's the hatred of their own Pashtun brothers and sisters.

Today Herat, Farah, and Kabul are majority Pashtun provinces, but majority of the population in Herat and Farah are not Pashtu speakers, but rather Dari speakers.

God forbid if Afghanistan disintegrates do you think those Pashtuns will chose to stay with Afghanistan if their own brothers and sisters are being racists, ignorant and hateful towards them?

Soon majority of the members on this forum their kids will forget their language and culture what will their parents consider them then?

I say please stop this ignorant feeling. Today the west is living off the Pashtun blood and they are continuing their division among the Pashtuns.

Afghanistan is majority Pashtun country, but without those that are Dari speakers, Pashtuns will be minority and then might as well say good bye to Afghanistan.

The day Pashtuns stop the division among themselves Afghanistan will progress and become a strong united country and no neighbour can take advantage of us again.

[Nick]

Pashtu language is required to be identified as Pashtun, don't disrespect Pashtun identity, and Pashtun culture by calling your self Pashtun, if you don't speak Pashtu, Just like any other ethnological linguistic classified terms. However some lingustic nationalist parties/groups/tribes would automatically classify you as a Pashtun by judging your last name such as Durrani if you were amongst 300 years old urdu speaking Afghan ancestral or not but you carry "Durrani" as your last name despite how dark or Indic you look ANP party would claim you as "Pashtun". Also just a while ago the average Pakistani mentality regarding the name "Khan" if you carried that word as your last name you were automatically defined as "pathan" or Khan sahab/ Afghan race. Despite all mistakes many of the people of Afghanistan are disrespected by both their own Pashtuns and Westerners/Foreigners. For example if your name was Mohammad Qasim LOL and happen to speak "dari" by western media you would be identified as "Tajik" the real facts regarding your parents and how they were pashtun or not is never asked, and automatically next day you find your name in the western news paper "City budged Minister Mohammad Qasim a Tajik background said this and that..." before you try to stop it lol its a headline in 150 countries lol and some 1000 media news broadcasts LOL make your way out, and also political backlash by Ismailis/shias Tajikistanis and other lingumastics for abusing the identity of your tongue. Same kind of abuse is claimed from ultra Pashtun nationalists who seems to reject Pashtun one who speaks a language alone, but rather Pashtu in their daily lives, think pashtu, read pashtu, eat pashtu and everything in your life must be pashtu, something they proudly call Pashtunwali.


Therefore you cannot say if your Parents are Pashtun you are Pashtun as well this is abusive to Pashtun people under banner of pashtuniwali but also to your tongue. Many of us understand the meaning of this application by which you claim to be from Afghan root, but language does not represent race, what happens to your grand children and great Children, who do not carry Pashtuniwali and may also forget their tribes, unless you always ask your children that their last must always be LOL "Durrani"

[ijaz yousafzai]

Lineage and Language is the two important ingredients, besides others, for an ' ethno-nation". Lineage is , however not palpable on the first sight ( subject to Lab test), but Language is the biggest prompest exponent for an immediate recognition. It does not mean that a Pakhtun by blood loses his ownership to Pakhtun nation, if he does not speak Pashto. However he may be called a " bad Pashtun", like a " bad Muslim", who does not know how to pray. Try to become " good Pashtun" by coming back to " Pashto".

[Fish]

Hi Fish.

Welcome to the community of Pashtuns, I wanted to give you a warm welcome first. I hope you enjoy your stay and try to learn Pashto.

No one has the right to declare who is Pashtun or not. obviously blood is important but so is language. Without speaking the Pashto language do you still feel connected to Pashtunwali?

Do you support an independent Pashtun state or are you a support of Afghan nationalism?

Hi GoPashtunGo,

Thanks for the warm welcome and hopefully my stay will be long here.

I put forward few questions and it seems no one is willing to answer my questions.

Would a Tajik, Punjabi, Hazara and etc be considered Pashtun once they speak the language?

Ethnicity and Language have two different meanings and once our brothers and sisters do their research on these two terms they will understand.

I find it that many people whether on this forum or any other forum get too emotional.

Do you know why Persians are so united? They are united regardless of the language they speak and today many Tajiks,Hazaras,Aimaks and others living in Pashtun majority areas speak Pashtu and no word of Dari but they are welcomed with open arms, but Pashtuns have become racist and are spreading hatred among their own brothers.

Do you know why Pashtuns can't get united under one banner and ethnicity? Today we have Duranis fighting Ghilzais and sub tribes fighting eachother for lands. In the other hand we have people who know very little about Pashtu fighting against who is Pashtun and who isn't.

Until this continues Pashtuns will continue to be backward and continue to suffer.

To answer your question bro, I am Afghan Nationalist, I love Afghanistan and I will give my life for the country. If Pashtuns across the Durand line are willing to join their motherland than I will be the first to accept them. But if they wish to be part of Pakistan than that is their choice and I will never give up Afghanistan for the greed of separating my motherland to join across the Pashtuns in Pakistan.

I hope I didn't sound rude it was not my intention.

[Fish]

Pashtu language is required to be identified as Pashtun, don't disrespect Pashtun identity, and Pashtun culture by calling your self Pashtun, if you don't speak Pashtu, Just like any other ethnological linguistic classified terms. However some lingustic nationalist parties/groups/tribes would automatically classify you as a Pashtun by judging your last name such as Durrani if you were amongst 300 years old urdu speaking Afghan ancestral or not but you carry "Durrani" as your last name despite how dark or Indic you look ANP party would claim you as "Pashtun". Also just a while ago the average Pakistani mentality regarding the name "Khan" if you carried that word as your last name you were automatically defined as "pathan" or Khan sahab/ Afghan race. Despite all mistakes many of the people of Afghanistan are disrespected by both their own Pashtuns and Westerners/Foreigners. For example if your name was Mohammad Qasim LOL and happen to speak "dari" by western media you would be identified as "Tajik" the real facts regarding your parents and how they were pashtun or not is never asked, and automatically next day you find your name in the western news paper "City budged Minister Mohammad Qasim a Tajik background said this and that..." before you try to stop it lol its a headline in 150 countries lol and some 1000 media news broadcasts LOL make your way out, and also political backlash by Ismailis/shias Tajikistanis and other lingumastics for abusing the identity of your tongue. Same kind of abuse is claimed from ultra Pashtun nationalists who seems to reject Pashtun one who speaks a language alone, but rather Pashtu in their daily lives, think pashtu, read pashtu, eat pashtu and everything in your life must be pashtu, something they proudly call Pashtunwali.


Therefore you cannot say if your Parents are Pashtun you are Pashtun as well this is abusive to Pashtun people under banner of pashtuniwali but also to your tongue. Many of us understand the meaning of this application by which you claim to be from Afghan root, but language does not represent race, what happens to your grand children and great Children, who do not carry Pashtuniwali and may also forget their tribes, unless you always ask your children that their last must always be LOL "Durrani"

Dear brother,

Aside from your emotional outburst can you tell me who has given you the right to speak on behalf of Pashtuns? You are in no position to consider my ethnicity and have no right to take my pride away from me.

You don't consider me Pashtun, but I don't consider you a Pashtun myself.

You may speak the language, but in your words I can only say hatred and racism.

You speak about Pashtuns who can't speak Pashtu, but then you are insulting Duranis? How can you be proud of your Pashtunism if you are insulting large number of Duranis who are Pashtuns?

Do you think when Duranis read your comment they will open their arms and hug you for your great comments of insults?

I'm sorry, but you are no Pashtun and never will represent them. Your words are filled with hatred for a tribe which has very large population.

Shame on you and those that have thought you this hatred.

[Master Khan]

Pashto is half of pashtun identity.
you must alteast speak pashto to fully known as pashtun...I mean imagen a english guy who can't speak english...it makes no sense.

[Feroza_Banu]

Pashto language is not some kind of babaw or monster that u have to overcome. every non-speaking pashtoon can learn the language, and also try to follow pashtoonwali... as much as he/she can.

as long as you are proud of your pashtoon background, born to pashtoon father, and are willing to learn pashto and feel identified by your pashtoon tribe. you are a pashtoon!...

Don't forget that according to pashtoonwali if you born to pashtoon father you are a pashtoon! pashtoons have deep roots and they take pride in their forefathers. pashtoon lineage is through father and if your father is a pashtoon born to pashtoon, you are a pashtoon, whether someone likes it or not!

[Nick]

Dear brother,

Aside from your emotional outburst can you tell me who has given you the right to speak on behalf of Pashtuns? You are in no position to consider my ethnicity and have no right to take my pride away from me.

You don't consider me Pashtun, but I don't consider you a Pashtun myself.

You may speak the language, but in your words I can only say hatred and racism.

You speak about Pashtuns who can't speak Pashtu, but then you are insulting Duranis? How can you be proud of your Pashtunism if you are insulting large number of Duranis who are Pashtuns?

Do you think when Duranis read your comment they will open their arms and hug you for your great comments of insults?

I'm sorry, but you are no Pashtun and never will represent them. Your words are filled with hatred for a tribe which has very large population.

Shame on you and those that have thought you this hatred.

OK brothr come down please you are new and everyone else in here knows me I am not as racist as I sound. Again I admit I complated but my example of the name "Durani" was not position of attacking Durranis LOL Never was but rather I gave an example for some's last name which is so famous and your personal feeling being is one of it. I could of used Popalzai but the thing is there are no Urdu speaking Popalzai Well I am not sure that they are so huge in numbers. Besides you are taking this tooo far. So come Down Read my comments again, my response was also against another User who goes by the name of "PakArmy" I was speaking of urdu speaking Pakistani minister ho actually by culture is a Punjabi.

Yes you are right I do not have any right for speaking on behave of Pashtu speakers. Which is true but unfortunatly many due and to get ride of this huge confusion we have to speak based on our own experence, knowledge and info at hands. Otherwise there will be no discussion, right! and nor any disagreements.

Please forgive me if I have heard your feelings, however I said open and if you want you can read again think about it see what I mean and if it was anti-Pashtun, or anti-Afghan, let me please. I am myself Suliman Khel, but from our 3rd generation and as far as according to my grand-father we never spoke Pashtu, and therefore we are not considerd my Pashtun. I took my forefather's words because he was a very educated and influcial person, since he was professor in Kabul knowing and born in Kabul I cannot claim to be from where his grandfather came, however I can always have claim over my roots, and that is Ahmadzia, therefore leaving me with no choce other than proudly announce myself as a proud Afghan, but lingustically Farsiwan. Therefore I am a non-Pashtun like yourself.

However if you want to annonce your Pashtun being that's fine, then learn Pashtu, teach your children Pashtu as well, and always remember a Pashtun will always get abused if you claim to be Pashtun, but not speaking Pashtu. Would you ever accept an Indian speaking from Urtra Prdesh as an Afghan, simply because he says he's also Pashtun, and proudly introduced himself as "Pathan". I didn't accepted him as "Pashtun" however I did accepted him as Pathan, because Pathan is a racal term that actully could be applied to Afghan race. Theefore he was an Indian Afghan, but for me he was a non-Pashtun.

Here is another example, When was in Tajikistan, I came to find that my teenage uncle was beaten by Taliban in 1999, simply because his taskera name was "Ahmadzia". Ask how? well during questioning he was asked in Pashtu and my uncle responded that he doesn't understand, so the Talib kick him and asked him again, again my uncle replied same answer "I don't understand your tongue" so the talib got mad, because he was found at late night and a good excuse to beat him up, beside he was a non-Pashtu Pashtun LOL that's what got him mad, he goes on "Don't play with me, you are Pashtun and you mock me that you don't understand my tongue" then again my uncle swear he never spoke Pashtu at home, despite what he said, Taliban didn't believed him, but again he was beaten further more and he was called many names. So here according to my uncle the Taliban was ubset because some-how he spoke with other Boys in Dari, and let go of them but didn't wanted to speak Dari with him, but ended up swearing in Dari. According to uncle this Talib was racist. So here this is how racism/hate is created, simply because someone with Pashtun identity but cannot speak Pashtu really piss off some people. Otherwise like other boys he would of been freed.

Now Just because I took this incident as my example does not mean I hate all Taliban, or that all Taliban are Racist against Dari. I am not generalzing. Despite initailly I hated them, so much, because they were religous and had no education to run a country in professional mannar (ie lack of Politic, Economics and handling the society as a whole), beside I deeply admired Najeeb, so they killing Najeeb as another reason that I will hated them, but now despite all I do want a free Afghanistan, free from foreign rule.

BTW I never spoke a word of Pashtu, but I have deep respect for it.


Brother by origin you are an Afghan, since you claim to be, God forbits we cannot argue regarding your origin, because you either know your tribe, or you have been told by your forefathers that you are Afghan. So End to that, but by tongue to my eyes to eys of Pashtun soceity you are a Farsiwan if you speak Dari as a mother tongue. You want to claim yourself Pathan, Pakhtun or Pashtun, go ahead but becareful on the way, if you don't understand their tongue you are abusing them, same as if you call yourself English or urduzuban but cannot speak "Urdu" or "English".
Another example there wer few English left in India and some of them speak Talgue will British ever accept them a English... actually they were rejected when they asked to be taken back to UK.

Think about what I said above and my prevous posts. True that I am nationalist but lingumastic and I don't believe Language represents Race.