Good question. Pashtun are a warlike people group who live primarily in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They have an eclectic personality mix they are said to be hospitable, considerate, devoted friends and vicious toward their enemies. Close to the heart of every Pashtun is the Pushtunwali (the way of the Pashtun), an unwritten code of ethics and honor that is strictly adhered to. It includes hospitality and protection to every guest, the acceptance of a fugitive’s bona fide offer of peace, the right of blood feuds or revenge, bravery, steadfastness, and defense of property, honor and one’s women.
Also known as Pathans, Pushtuns, or Pakhtuns, the Pashtuns are an extremely proud people comprising nearly 42% of Afghanistan’s population (11-12 million) and 12% of Pakistan’s population (18-19 million). The Pashtuns reside primarily in Eastern and Southern Afghanistan, and the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, and consist of about 608 different tribal groups. Their reputation as a fierce, independent, hot tempered, bold, and fearless people is legendary. The name “Afghan” was given to the Pashtuns by their Persian neighbors and means “unruliness” or “upheaval”. Pashtun culture is expressed in the Pashtunwali, an unwritten, undefined code of ethics which lies at the heart of the Pashtun ethos.
Much attention has been given to the plight of women, primarily among the Pashtuns, where a strictly conservative culture has often denied them an education, access to proper health care, and the ability to go beyond the confines of their homes. There is no denying the injustices suffered by Pashtun women on both sides of the border, yet one cannot assume Pashtun women to be meek and downtrodden. Like the men, many Pashtun women are proud and assertive. Although the man plays a dominant role in Pashtun public spheres, women have a great amount of power in their homes, often controlling all aspects of domestic affairs. The Pashtuns will never fully progress until women are integrated into the educational, political and economic spheres of society. There are promising winds of change in Afghanistan. People have become tired of their corrupt leaders and have elected women hoping they would be less corrupt. May Pashtun women discover their value as women created in the image of God, may they come to know the freedom and value afforded them through the person of Jesus Christ.
By outward appearance the standard of morality is very high in Pashtun society. The Pashtuns are protective of the chastity of their women that they cannot tolerate the admiration of a woman’s beauty by a man who is not her close relative. They consider such an admiration an insult to their sense of honor. To the Pashtuns, honor is valued above all else. In order to protect the reputation of the women and the honor of their family, strict codes are placed upon women and how they interact with men. Women are required to wear a burqa, a full body covering, when they leave the home.
The life of Pashtun women varies drastically depending on location, education, and the father’s level of conservatism. Some women in the urban settings work outside the home. More and more women in urban settings are given the opportunity to refuse a marriage proposal. Traditionally, the girl has no say whatsoever, and she will not see her husband until the wedding night. Women in the village are usually married off between the ages of 13 and 16. Their primary sphere of influence is limited to the home. For every woman, maintaining a good reputation is a life long demand. In Pashtun areas education, health care, employment, and women’s rights are improving very slowly.
Pashtun code, it is indecent for a woman to speak to men who are not their relatives, to laugh loudly in public, she must not address her husband by name, and in many areas she is not even allowed to leave the home. This, in the mind of the Pashtun, is done, not to oppress women, but to protect women from themselves as well as from predators.
The Pashtun are famous on one hand for their hospitality, and on the other for clan rivalries, jealousies, and for their seeming brutality. Pashtun men are extremely proud. Manliness is defined by one’s ability to protect his honor. In traditional Pashtun society, the survival of the family is dependent upon their reputation and honor. The guardians of this honor are the senior men of the family whose responsibility it is to command the obedience of all other family members. Pashtun men are known for their fierce blood feuds and for the hatred of their enemies. They are described by some as those who wear their weapons as clothing accessories. As a young boy, a Pashtun is trained to exhibit proper manliness. Once he learns the art of manhood as dictated by the Pashtunwali (see January), he earns the respect of those around him. He will learn how to fight and even kill to protect his honor and the honor of his family. Thankfully, some change in these values has come through education and urbanization.
It is unfair for Pashtun men to be only portrayed as brutal warriors. A famous Pashtun poet once said, “A friend who is not faithful is no friend at all, an act that is temporary is no work at all”. In Pashtun culture, it is greatly important to remain loyal in friendship and to extend lavish hospitality to one’s guests. Fun-filled chatting, known as “Gup Shup”, is a widely appreciated pastime in Pashtun society. Men spend hours sitting in shops or homes sharing stories, talking about life, gossiping, and drinking tea, a must have in all Pashtun gatherings. Men also are known to spend free time simply walking with their friends. Generally there is no purpose to it other than spending time together, merely a stroll to catch up on the news and to greet people in the market. Showing affection between the sexes is strictly forbidden, but it is not uncommon for men to walk down the street hand in hand or to greet each other with a kiss, this affection in Pashtun culture is a sign of friendship.
The Pashtuns believe that children are a blessing from God. Sons are preferred over daughters. The more sons a man produces, the greater his prestige in the community. Sons often work alongside their fathers in the field or learn their father’s profession. Girls work alongside their mothers and are taught from an early age how to take care of the home. Older girls are often responsible for the care of the younger children and have responsibilities ranging from washing dishes to preparing full meals. The girl is prepared from childhood to assume the responsibilities of a wife. Marriage is a religious duty. Singles have no place within society. Pashtun males usually marry their cousins on their father’s side. This is done to keep the landholdings within the extended family. Once a young male is married, it is the beginning of his own identity as a husband and the head of a family.
The life of Pashtun children varies drastically. In the cities an increasing number of girls are earning a BA at university. In the villages girls are allowed to go to school, if at all, only up to fifth or sixth grade. After that they must stay at home. Boys’ education is sometimes forfeited because they must work to help the family survive. Literally thousands of children have been left orphaned by the Afghan wars and must provide for themselves. In some cases, when the father is killed and the mother remarries, she is not allowed to bring her former husband’s children into the new home. The children are then left to fend for themselves, shining shoes in the market places, selling bread, digging through rubbish for goods to sell; doing whatever they can to survive.
The Pashtun people range from the highly educated who live in cities, to village farmers, and tent dwelling nomads. City dwelling Pashtuns, live much like their Uzbek, Tajik, and Hazara neighbors. They remain strictly independent, however, and are usually recognizable by their language (Pashto), lighter skin, and larger build.
Afghanistan is one of the poorest nations on earth with an economy devastated by war, civil strife, and drought. Industry is almost non-existent and people are highly dependent on livestock (sheep and goats), and farming. A major source of income comes from the poppy fields, used to manufacture heroin. Aside from heroin production, wheat, fruit, nuts, carpets, and wool are also sources of income for the Pashtuns.
Pakistan’s economy and infrastructure are much stronger than that of Afghanistan, yet many of the Pashtuns live in remote villages, and seek out a meager existence off the land. Pashtuns on both sides of the border cooperate in the production and export of heroin.
In the villages, most Pashtun homes are made of dried mud. The homes usually consist of 2-3 rooms, interlinked by inner doors with a veranda for each room. Each house also has a courtyard which contains plenty of outside cooking space, a bin to store grains, and a pen to house the animals. Wealthier members of the village may have two courtyards, one specifically for women. In poorer homes, there is only one courtyard where women sit and work, taking cover when male guests arrive. Each home is surrounded by a mud wall, maintained and strengthened by adding a simple mixture of mud and straw. Furniture in Pashtun homes is usually limited. Pashtuns sit and sleep on cushions on the floor. They eat on plastic runners spread on the floor. Rural Pakistani Pashtuns prefer to sit and sleep on simple rope-strung beds. These days, it is not uncommon to see TV's in many homes, although this is restricted to the more affluent. For all Pashtuns, both city and village dwellers, privacy is very important. No door or window is placed in the home where a female member of the family can be seen from the outside.
In contrast to the value of independence in the west, the Pashtuns place high value on the family. Honor and dishonor not only affects how society views an individual, but all of the extended family as well. The family is the foundation upon which Pashtun social structure is built, and it is a patriarchal structure. All of the family, including the married sons, live together in the parent’s home. One home could possibly hold up to three generations, each of them living under the authority of the father or oldest living brother.
More than 23 years of conflict and recent drought has left an entire nation in desperate need. Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries whose people have suffered incredibly. To this day, almost one in five Afghans continue to depend on food-aid for survival. Infant and maternal mortality rate remains among the world’s highest. Afghan health workers lack proper training and clinics. Where they exist, they are inadequately supplied. Approximately 44% percent of deaths during childhood result from treatable and often preventable diseases. 40% of the population have no access to primary health care. Schools lack adequate teachers and supplies. The authority of the central government does not extend beyond the capital, Kabul, leaving rural areas at the mercy of ruthless warlords. Despite these bleak assessments, this now is the time of hope for the Afghan people. Now, like never before, the doors of the country have swung wide open. The opportunity for Christians to go, to live, to serve, and to love the Afghan people in the name of Jesus is the hope and future for Afghanistan.
The food of an average Pashtun is simple, consisting primarily of bread, vegetables (whatever is in season), meat (usually mutton), rice, or lentils. Depending on the resources of a family, meals are usually served two times a day, once in the afternoon, and once after sunset. During the summer time, when the days are extremely hot, dinner is sometimes served late at night. Silverware and a dinner table is unfamiliar to the Pashtun. Most eat with their right hand and are seated on the floor. Some favorite Pashtun dishes are Bolonee, a large leek or potato filled fried pancake, Kabob, a BBQ meat skewer, Qabeli Pilau (rice with carrots and raisins), and Firnee (a sweet pudding). The sign of any good meal is that there is plenty of food and plenty of oil. November, for us, is a month marked by family gatherings, thankfulness, and plenty of food. As you gather this month for Thanksgiving, don’t forget to stop and thank the Lord for his blessing and goodness in our lives. This month we have included a few Afghan recipes. As a reminder to pray for the Pashtuns, perhaps you could even include a new addition to your Thanksgiving meal. However you enjoy these recipes, don’t forget to continue to pray. Pray and give thanks for how the Lord is working among the Pashtun people.
Place chicken pieces, onions, salt and hot water in a 5-pint saucepan. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours. The chicken should be tender, yet firm. Remove and cool chicken, reserving stock. Remove meat from bones; use only large pieces for this dish. Cook rice in boiling salted water. When done, drain and keep covered until used.
To make stock sauce: Brown onions in hot oil and remove from heat. Add cardamom and cumin; mash with onion to form a paste. Add about 1 pint of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste with salt for seasoning.
Combine cooked rice, stock sauce and chicken; place in a buttered casserole; place carrots on top of mixture and sprinkle with raisins and saffron. Cover and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes (325 F).
Mix whole milk, with cornstarch, cardamom, and rose water in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil and stir constantly. When the mix comes to a boil, remove from the stove, and put into a shallow serving dish. Refrigerate and serve with finely chopped pistachios sprinkled on top.
The Pashtuns have been described as one of the most hospitable people in the world. In the public sphere, Pashtuns are always very helpful. Pashtuns are friendly to foreigners, and will often welcome them into their homes. With regard to locals, however, they are very selective in who they will take into their homes because of “purdah” (the segregation of non-related men and women) and because they are slow to trust fellow Pashtuns. Therefore, it is an honor to be treated to their warm hospitality in their homes. The Pashtuns take their social obligations very seriously. Their social obligations are primarily towards members of their extended family and a few others with whom they deem it beneficial to maintain a relationship. Food is considered sacred and is the most important thing to be shared with guests. A Pashtun host would never ask if their guest would like something to eat or drink. Tea and snacks are always provided.
The grant of asylum, or hospitality to a stranger, is a famous (though at the individual level largely mythical) Pashtun character quality. It is occasionally practiced by powerful tribal landlords who are beyond the reach of the laws of the land. If anyone is granted asylum by a Pashtun clan, he will be protected, even at the risk of their own lives. The practice of Nanawatey has been known to be a cause of conflict with government forces, as some tribal Pashtuns have harbored known outlaws. The Pashtuns may not feel any particular affinity toward someone they grant protection to, yet they are bound by their sense of obligation to do so. The Pashtuns consider giving up a man who has been granted asylum an act against their code of ethics. They are willing to suffer, fight, and even die before handing over a guest to those who would want to cause him harm. The denial of protection would be impossible for the Pashtuns who observe this code, because of the shame it would bring.
Bin Laden was welcomed by the Pashtuns for two main reasons. First of all, he postured himself as a defender of Islam. The Pashtuns also see themselves as defenders of Islam. Secondly, he stood up to the mighty Western powers, making himself a hero throughout the world of Islam.
Nanawateh, or sanctuary, is particularly vexing to Bin Laden’s hunters. As Pakistani Colonel Mohammad Effendi states: “Anyone who hands Bin Laden over to the Americans might be 25 million dollars richer in reward money, but the disgrace would hang over this person, along with his family, clan and tribe for many generations. Whoever betrays him, why, his life wouldn’t be worth an onion.”
This is an example of the fierce loyalty the Pashtuns are famous for. Although more and more Pashtuns do not support Bin Laden or Al Qaida, the obligation to keep one’s honor is far more valuable than any amount of money.
Ramadan is a particularly important month for Muslims. Fasting during the month of Ramazan is one of the five pillars of Islam (see March). Many say fasting is a season to test one’s endurance and self denial. It is also said that the gates to “paradise are open and the gates of hell are shut”, and also that those who keep the fast will be pardoned of all their past sins. All Muslim believers, from sun up to sun down are required to fast from drinking, eating, smoking, and sexual intercourse. Exemptions are made for pregnant women, women on their menstrual cycle, children, aged adults, and those who are sick. An obligatory meal is taken before dawn. Even though the sleep cycle is disturbed, each person is required to get up and partake. The women rise around 3:30am to prepare the food. Each day, upon the setting of the sun and the last call to prayer, the fast is broken. Celebration and feasting often go long into the night. The last night of Ramazan is called the “Night of Destiny”. This night is believed to be the night when prayers are answered and opportunity is given to change one’s destiny for the year.
When the new moon signals the end of Ramazan, the fasting ends and celebration begins. This celebration, known as Id ul Fitr (breaking the fast), is a three-day celebration where the extended family members pay each other visits and share snacks and meals together. Everyone dresses up in new clothes, and there are games and festivities for the children. Day one of the Id festival starts with special prayers at the mosque, followed by visits to the elders. Day two and three consist of visits to extended family and friends. Pashtuns enjoy this Id much in the same way as we enjoy Christmas. It is important that we as believers be on our knees during this entire month.
Ramazan is a time when Pashtuns have a heightened sense of religious passion and commitment to Islam. Many are trying to make up for their lack of fervency during the rest of the year. Nevertheless, it is an important time for us to exercise faith and to believe that the hearts of Pashtuns will be softened, and the false assurance of forgiveness will be removed.
The word taliban is the plural form of talib which means a student or a seeker of knowledge. The Taliban became a religious political movement as a result of the failure of the Mujahedin (holy warriors) in bringing peace to Afghanistan.
The Mujahedin fought the Russians and the Communist-leaning Afghan government from 1979-1994. After the collapse of the Afghan communist government in 1994, the Mujahedin took control of Afghanistan. The various factions within the Mujahedin movement fought for control of the country. Unfortunately, they only succeeded in further destroying it.
As a result of the Mujahedin's inability to bring peace to the country, the Taliban formed in Quetta, Pakistan. With the financial backing of various countries, the Taliban entered Afghanistan in 1996 and almost effortlessly removed the Mujahedin from power and quickly restored order and security within the country. The Afghan people were so tired of the ongoing civil conflict that they were delighted to have peace. They had no idea what would transpire at the hands of the Taliban.
First, being fundamentalists, the Taliban instituted a very strict set of religious laws within the country. Under these laws, non-Islamic influences such as television, music, and the internet were banned. Men were required to wear their beards just as the prophet Muhammad wore his.
Women were restricted from leaving their homes. They were not allowed to work or go to school. If they left their homes, women were required to wear the burka and to be accompanied by a male relative. If people broke the laws, they were arrested, beaten or killed.
Second, power quickly corrupted the Taliban. They plundered the national economy and destroyed the national treasures. They also made money through bribery and smuggling.
Third, being uneducated, the Taliban did nothing practical to improve the deplorable living conditions of the people. They expected God to miraculously bless the country because of their strict adherence to the religious laws.
Fourth, being extremist in their religious ideology, they sheltered extremist religious terrorist organizations such as Al Quaida and facilitated the running of Jehadi (holy war) training camps.
December 9, 2001 marks the ouster of the Taliban from Afghanistan. They were defeated by a coalition of Afghan and American forces. Though they are a significantly weakened political movement, the Taliban continue to resist the present Afghan government from within and without the country.
The Pashtun people believe that to be Pashtun is to be Muslim. Local religious leaders (Mullahs) are generally not well instructed in Islam. Many teachers and religious leaders are able to pronounce the Arabic words of the language of the Muslim holy book (Quran); but, since it is not their native language, they don’t know what they are reading and are unable to understand its teachings. Islamic teaching therefore, is vulnerable to the interpretation of the local Mullah, and not generally understood by the average Pashtun. Despite this, Islam governs all aspects of Muslim life, both individually as well as socially. Islam expects modest dress, behavior, and high moral values. The Taliban, who were primarily Pashtuns imposed a fanatical variation of Islam on the country. Although the Taliban regime was supported among the conservative Southern Pashtuns, it was not supported by all Pashtun people, particularly the more educated. This month, as we celebrate Easter, may we continually pray that the Pashtun people may know Jesus who died on the cross and rose again, overcoming death that we may live.
Muslims believe in one God (Allah) who is Sovereign and all powerful. The Islamic faith is lived out according to five pillars that must be followed if one is to hope for salvation. While a Muslim may observe each of these pillars, salvation is not guaranteed.
Pashtuns sincerely revere Jesus as a prophet of God. They believe in His virgin birth; however they do not accept the Christian claim that He is divine. They believe Jesus is the Word of God, referring to Him as a messenger. He was pure and sinless, raised the dead and healed the sick. Pashtuns believe Jesus did not die on the cross, but that Judas was crucified in His place. They believe Jesus was taken up to heaven, will be present at judgment day, and will one day return to earth to set up His kingdom and proclaim Islam for a 40 year period. Then the judgment day will come. Pashtuns believe that Jesus was given the gospel (Injil), but that Christians changed and corrupted thir holy book. Therefore, God sent Mohammad, and gave him the Quran as His final revelation. During this Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, continue to pray that the Pashtuns would come to know the love of God revealed through His Son. Pray that they would hear, pray that they would believe, and pray that they would respond to the truth of the gospel.
Most Pashtuns have never had the opportunity to believe in Jesus because they have never heard enough of the true Gospel to be saved. They have needs that can only be met through the person of Jesus Christ. The burdens that the Pashtuns carry are heavy. God promises that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:13). Pray that the spiritual blinders that have held our Pashtun friends under bondage for so long would be removed. Pray that the Pashtuns would come to believe that it is possible to know God, that they would have the opportunity to experience His love, His faithfulness, and His goodness. Pray that their hearts would be prepared to hear and understand the good news, “There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Although Muslims highly revere Jesus as a prophet, the Quran condemns any thoughts of Jesus as the Son of God or as Deity. They also believe that Jesus is not the mediator between God and man, He did not die on the cross, rise from the dead, nor is He the basis of salvation for mankind. The greatest sin in Islam is to commit “shirk”, which is making someone or something equal with God.
