Who is a Pashtun?

Whether one is Pashtun or not depends on how one lives his or her life, not what they profess to be or even who their father is. This historically accurate precedent takes into account that though born an ethnic Afghan, no one is Pashtun by default.

By orthodox Pashtunwali law, you can be Pashtun only if your father is. This ancient law has assured the ethnic Afghans of being the world’s largest patriarchal tribal group in existence.

Pashtunwali

Are all ethnic Afghans, Pashtuns? Contemporaries may say yes, while the orthodox no. For those who say no, the deciding factor is dependent on how one lives one's life. Many say that though you are born an ethnic Afghan at no effort of your own, you are not a Pashtun if you do not live your life according to Pashtunwali.

A Pashtun is an ancient religious/spiritual/community identity tied to a specific set of beliefs, codes and a linear record of history spanning over 5000 years.

While intrinsically flexible and dynamic, modern yet ancient, Pashtunwali does have core tenants including self-respect, independence, justice, hospitality, love, forgiveness and tolerance to all, especially to the stranger or guest. Besides the core tenants, Pashtunwali is unique to every Pashtun and it is their responsibility to discover what Pashtunwali is to him or her.

Pashtunwali Teaches:

· Trust in Y_W_H/G_D/_LL_H/the ONE/the CREATOR/the ARCHITECT of the Universe

· Objective Truth

There is objectivity in this world. In the world of the religious unknown it is just that, unknown. As such there is no accurate human definition for ALLAH / GOD / YAWEH / the ONE /the CREATOR / the ARCHITECT – at least none that any human could conceive.

· Unity

Teaches that above the languages we speak, above the bloods we keep, above the amount of money we make, Pashtunwali keeps us in due bounds with all fellow Pashtuns, humankind and ALLAH/GOD/YAWEH/the ONE/the CREATOR/the ARCHITECT.

Pashtunwali UNITES us as one people across the world. Where there is true unity, every effort to disunite us will only serve to strengthen the unity we have. What happens to one happens to all.

· Social Justice

Teaches that we are limited in knowledge (objective truth), and therefore we should put human needs above anyone’s notion of deity and work for social justice.

· Freedom & Independence without bringing harm to others

Freedom in physical, mental, religious, spiritual, political and economic realms is for all to pursue, man and woman. The Free have nothing to gain of freedom without discipline. A free Pashtun who does not have discipline will certainly spin his own web of destruction.

· You have NO right to proselytize

Teaches us NO ONE has the right to attempt to demand of others who are not their children what to believe. Furthermore, NO GOVERNMENT or PEOPLE has the right to put religion before ALL_H/G_D/Y_W_H/the CREATOR/the ARCHITECH.

· Hospitality

Teaches us to be hospitable to ALL, especially guests and strangers, and at times even our most hostile of enemies. The exception that makes the rule is when one has come to take advantage of Pashtunwali for their own corrupt ends bringing harm to you in the pursuit of their aims.

Example: If one comes to your home purporting to seek refuge or comes saying he is their to help, but then his actions reveal he is there to use your name, your hospitality and Pashtunwali for his own agenda other than he seeking humble refuge or participation, he has lied to you. In fact, he has not come for what he said.

· Justice & Forgiveness

Teaches us if one intentionally wrongs you, you have the right, though not the obligation, to avenge this injustice in equal proportion. As long as you do not overzealously avenge the injustice done to you, who has wronged you may not avenge your justified reaction. If one has intentionally wronged you and you did not seek justice, nor did they seek your forgiveness, a debt however so understood is owed you by them. However if they continue to wrong you, or tyrannically wrong others, you are obligated to avenge their wrong doings until they stop their activities. It should always be remembered, violence begets violence, long-standing cycles of violence cannot be broken until one or both parties stands morally superior to lead both out.

· Non-Cooperation (Love) with Evil – The Ultimate Pashtun Weapon

“Yours is the true non-violence, it is the non-violence of the strong, not the non-violence of the weak and starving."

– Mahatma Gandhi speaking directly to the Pashtuns

Teaches that non-cooperation with evil is a Pashtun moral duty just as cooperation with good is. (Love) is the ultimate WEAPON against evil that leaves you calm, organized and ready to build when your oppressor has been defeated. There is no government or human derived system on earth that can stand up to non-cooperation.

· Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds

Teaches us to work with good intentions, think good thoughts, say good things and do good deeds. What you think will AFFECT what you say and what you do. To think positive will result in positive action.

· Love

Teaches us that Love is the greatest gift GOD ever gave us, more than our mind or our possible freedom. It is our greatest merit, greatest ideal and greatest evil when forgotten. Use it in all that you do.

· Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Friendship and Trust

Teaches us to naturally trust and assist your fellow Pashtun brother and sister to the extent you can without bringing harm to yourself.

· Honor

Teaches us, woman and man, to maintain your independent human dignity.

· Self-Respect

Teaches us to respect ourselves, and to do this, to respect others, especially those we do not know and do not share common beliefs with. Respect begins in the home, to your wife, mother, children, etc.

· The Sacredness of Life

Teaches us life is sacred and not to be wasted. To upset the balance of living on petty grounds is unwise except for the self-destructive.

· Compassion. Understanding and Cooperation

Teaches us to help the poor, the weak and the challenged. To work in way that includes rather than excludes. To defend against tyranny, fascism and overzealous groups and to work smart first and then hard.

· Family

Teaches us to glorify the family unit under a sacred conviction of responsibility and duty where we respect our wives, daughters, elders, parents, sons and husbands. But, recognizing that new wisdom is without the barrier of age or gender and that clearing a path of understanding for our youth, encouraging their good ideas with elder support is the most enlightened community of all.

· We are one Family

Teaches us to care for our fellow Pashtun. We may be hundreds of tribes, but we have one destiny in union with each other.

· Knowledge

Teaches us to seek objective knowledge in life, art, science and culture, all fruits granted to us by GOD.

· Pashtun History

Teaches us our history, with all its depth and pluralism, tragedies and victories, spanning over 5000 years. It teaches us to keep the mind open, to continue the search for the truth, much of which has vanished under history itself.

Some useful words that signify individual or collective Pashtun tribal functions are given below in Afghan. These Afghan words are common to ethnic Afghan and Pashtun society and language. The first four form the major components of Pashtunwali, or the way of the Pashtuns.

1. Melmastia (Hospitality): To show hospitality to all visitors, regardless of whom they are, their ethnic, religious, or national background, without hope of remuneration or favor.

2. Badal (Justice): To seek justice over time or over space to avenge a wrong. This applies to injustices committed yesterday or 1000 years ago if the wrong doer still exists.

3. Nanawatay (Settlement): Nanawatay derives from the verb “to go in” and is used when the vanquished party is prepared to go in to the house or hujra of the victors and ask forgiveness.

4. Nang (Honour): Nang is composed of the various points below that a tribesman must observe to ensure his honour, and that of his family, is upheld.

5. Lashkar: Lashkar is the tribal army. It implements the decisions of the Jirga.

6. Jirga: Jirga is an assembly of tribal elders called for various purposes whether waging war or composing peace, tribal or inter-tribal.

7. Chalweshti: Chalweshti derives from the number forty and refers to the tribal force that would implement the decision of a jirga. Every fortieth man of the tribe would be a member. A shalgoon is a force derived from the number twenty.

8. Badragga: Badragga means a tribal escort composed of members of that tribe through which the travelers are passing. If a badragga is violated a tribal feud will follow.

9. Hamsaya: Hamsaya is a word used to designate a non-Pashtun dependent group who attaches themselves to a Pashtun group, usually for protection. The Pashtun protector group is called a naik. Any attack on a hamsaya is considered an attack on the protector.

10. Malatar: Malatar means literally “tying the back” and refers to those members of the tribe who will actually join the fighting on behalf of their leaders.

11. Nagha: Nagha is a tribal fine decided by the council of elders and imposed upon the wrongdoer.

12. Rogha: Rogha means settlement of a dispute between warring factions.