Grandfathers

Because of the distances presented by my parent's migration to England, I didn't grow up with either of my grandfathers and only saw them during a trip to Pakistan when I was still in first school. I have fading memories of my maternal grandfather, Ghulam Nadir, and some almost equally blurred images of my paternal grandfather, Ali Akbar.

My father's grandfather went by the fine name of Arsalaan and his father was Ras Gul, and so it continues. They are mostly known by their singular names (Khan and Gul as honorific titles) at a time when hard records were not always kept. It's important, however, to have knowledge of your past and this thread is dedicated to that important patrilineal lineage of grandfathers.

 

Tor_Khan تور خان

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A Tale of Two Summers and a Place In-Between

Some things burn in the back of your mind and for a long time, I have wanted to mention an essential piece of reading. Last summer, an old colleague of mine recommended a book that even beyond reading, I have continued to find inspirational. In fact, in many ways, it stands as an example of some of the things that I want achieve, InshAllah. The Places In-Between is a rather unconventional travelogue by Rory Stewart, a Scottish writer in which he documents the 2002 winter walk that he undertook from Herat* to Kabul (though his travels actually went beyond Afghanistan). He walked cross country at a time when bombs reigned down from the skies following the US invasion. Sometimes he was accompanied, often not; a non-Muslim stranger in a Muslim land, following in the intrepid footsteps of the Mughal Emperor Babur's journey across Afghanistan.

Rory Stewart now heads the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul which sets out to equip Afghans with the skills, knowledge and enterprise to bring commercial viability to traditional crafts. At a time when people have mixed feelings on the foreign occupation in Afghanistan, I take much inspiration from people like Rory.

And here is where this summer comes in. Exactly one summer ago, I made the decision that travel to Afghanistan was a possibility. Last week, just as I was about to depart for Kabul, the Taleban took control of a semi-constructed building in Pul-e-Alam, Logar and started firing missiles and rocket launchers into a nearby government target. This summer happens to be election season in Afghanistan, and violence has reached a dangerous level.

My destination was Logar where I intended to stay with a very dear friend who had been asking me to visit all summer. Three hours before I was due to board my plane from Dubai, I was advised by very well meaning Afghan friends, not to go. The irony? I, a Pashtoon, who can blend in and am ethnic Afghan, am caught in that place in-between.

*Qutb Shah father of my paternal ancestors, the Awan, was a ruler of Herat.

The Rift in the Gulf

Persian Rift: The Gulf in between

There's a stirring in the neighbourhood between leaders and people - just across the waters from where I live, here in the UAE, is Iran. Iran is one place that has continually fascinated me and one that I would like to visit some day, InshAllah. Persian influence on the Muslim world is deep and the cultural/linguisitic links are historic. To illustrate this, my father's ancestry is an admixture of Arab and Persian - the Awan people passed through Khorosan and today my understanding of Farsi, for example, is stronger than my Arabic. Greater Iran (ایران بزرگ) sometimes referred to as the Land of Iran (ایران ‌زمین) stretched across the Iranian plateau, encompassing the modern country, Afghanistan and up to the Indus in Western Pakistan. Of course, my mother tongue, Pashto is categorised as an Iranian language in the Indo-European classification of languages.

What is happening in Iran?

Like the reports coming out of Iran, I rely heavily on the Internet for my information. But in an age of disinformation I'm not quite sure what to make of what I see and read. I am left with a sense regret and of confusion over recent events. I pray for the well being of Iran and it's people. The Farsi proverb that I'm sharing here kind of sums up my hope that normalcy returns to the Land of the Aryans.

هر شب بلندى را پايانى است

Every long night has its end.

خدا حافظ - تور خان