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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Two-Muslim Theory: Part 1

Article originally by Tahir Mehdi appeared in the Dawn. Presented here in an adapted format. 

Introducing Bacha Khan

When someone says 'Muslims of Indo-Pak subcontinent' with reference to history, does this refer to one unanimous, monolithic block of people with no shades and diversity? The reality is divergent political interests and ambitions of Muslims throughout the subcontinents history before and beyond the period that ended on this day 65 years ago. A reintroduction to these groups and how the new state of Pakistan responded to their political aspirations might help us understand where we stand now.

Pre-partition Muslims can be classified in many ways beyond sectarian differences within Islam. The followers of one sect are not a completely homologous group either, as they may differ on other counts like economic class, cast, language, culture etc. These attributes have an impact on way people behave and act in spheres of economy, politics, culture and even faith. It's only natural to consider that all these factors make one what he or she is. Instead of labouring over an academically-sound definition of each, this post offers an example of one person from two of these two groups.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was born in 1890 to rural middle-class Pakhtun parents of Utmanzai, a small town in the present day district of Charssadda. At the age of 20 he opened a school in his village. He had woken up to the fact that his people have no future if they don't educate themselves and their children. The tall, young man proved to be a zealous missionary. He would walk for miles from one village to the other with his simple message – educate yourself and abstain from violence. He was a devout Muslim, a five-timer namazi parhaizgar and would draw heavily from Islamic history and the Prophet's sayings to rally fellow Pakhtuns. People joined him in droves. 

His appeal matured into charisma and in his 30s, he founded a social reform movement named Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God). By now he was named Badshah Khan or Bacha Khan. The movemen gave its volunteers a uniform that was red and organised them on the pattern of a militia that was, in his words, armed "with the weapon of the Prophet – that is, patience and righteousness. No power on earth can stand against it." It was only Bacha Khan who could unarm Pakhtuns who otherwise were considered quarrelsome and trigger-happy.

The Red Shirts, as the volunteers of the movement were known as, were against the British rule and demanded self government. For the British, the then province of NWFP had great strategic importance. It was a so-called buffer against the Afghan government that was not friendly with the Raj and also against the Russians whom the British dreaded as their rivals.

The Bolshevik revolution of Russia in 1917 was emerging as a huge challenge for Imperialism. It had a natural affinity with the nations oppressed by the British. The Russian revolution was colored red. The sight of a Red Shirt in the Peshawar valley gave the British a fright. At Qisa Khani Bazar in 1930, the frenzied British forces fired directly at a protest rally of unarmed Khudai Khidmatgars killing many hundreds. The movement and its committed cadre did not budge. They stood fast. Many estimate that at its peak there were as many as a hundred thousand Red Shirts.

When the British adopted a cautious policy of sharing power with local political forces and initiated limited franchise elections, the group allied with Indian National Congress. It contested successive elections, won majority and formed governments in the province. As the British hated them, they would conspire against the Red Shirts and jailed Bacha Khan frequently and for long periods but could not undo the politicisation of the Pakhtun middle class that he had initiated.

Pakhtun felt comfortable with Congress and that didn't bear out of some personal friendship between the top leaders. Congress accommodated politics of budding smaller sub-national groups, offered them space for growth and opportunity to integrate with others without giving much consideration to religion. On the other hand, Bacha Khan did not owe his 'fearlessness' vis a vis Hindus to Pakhtun chivalric traditions, instead he had earned this confidence through successive electoral victories. He had a large constituency where Muslims were in majority. There were Hindus too but Pakhtuns did not see Hindus as threat to their religion or politics.

Despite its vociferous campaign Muslim League could not ignite fears of Hindu domination in the support base of Bacha Khan. His comrades won the land mark elections of 1946 with a thumping majority. He opposed the Partition on the basis of religion, but it happened. His democratically elected government was dismissed 8 days after the independence, on 22 August, 1947 when Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the Governor General and Liaqat Ali Khan was the Prime Minister.

read more in the next posting

"My People"

For a while Mariam Jaan had a presence on the blogosphere and today one of her poems gets a mention. This posting in fact is an 'archive' posting that sat in my drafts tray and never got published. It's about 2 years late as it goes as is the introductory paragraph here. Still, I think it is relevant: 

I had a conversation a couple of days ago with someone who said that the descent into chaos in the Pashtun lands was firmly attributed to the Pashtuns themselves. Typically people like him propose that Pashtun suffering is somehow deserved. The issues that plague us are complex, and there are manipulators on the outside, so that assertion is not entirely true in my opinion.We have our faults, but we have such untapped potential. We are not known for bowing our heads before others; and this is surely one of the reasons that manipulation by others continues to blight us.

"My People"

At times I feel I am writing to those who can't read.
Some of you say that God is punishing us for some sin
but how do we win a battle we have yet to even begin?
It is said that God helps those that help themselves.
What have we Pashtuns done to heal our nation's pain?
I see us doing nothing but blame "fate" and just complain.
As far as sinful people there are many than us far worse
yet do they suffer as we do with what we call our curse?
No, they rise up and for freedom they give a brave fight
God will always be on the side of his people who are right
Wishing doesn't make things happen, only our actions do!
My people, you act as if this simple fact is something new!

Mariam Jaan

The Durand Line

The matter of legitimacy in Pakistan is a sensitive subject and perhaps that is one of the reasons that I've never really been drawn into a protracted discussion on the Durand Line. However, in the same way I see India as a broader historical entity than a supposed 'Hindu' country that begins in 1947 at the Wagah Border, I think it is natural to consider my identity as a Pashtun in the broader sense; that is Afghanistan as a natural homeland and in the historic and etymological sense, Pashtun = Afghan.

It is this view of historical identity that is a sensitivity in Pakistan and is key in shaping its foreign policy. In Pakistan, the simplified version in their school textbooks is that they were carved out of British Indian territory in 1947 as a Muslim homeland. However, that would be the story for less than half of modern Pakistan, as Pakistan did not comprise Indian territory alone. Afghan territory (the Frontier/North West Frontier) under the Durand Agreement of 1893 ceded to British India was also included in Pakistan in 1947. The Durand agreement between Moritmer Durand and the Amir Abdur Rahman Khan remains heavily disputed - the claim being that it was 'forced' under duress.  

To date, the Durand Line which bisects the historic Pashtun lands remains toxic to security and economic advancement in the region. Afghanistan has never recognised it as an international boundary. Pakistan's Afghan policy, on the other other hand, has been shaped by military generals who have attempted to distract regional nationalism amongst the Pashtun and Baloch  by backing militant groups; even when this runs counter to their own domestic security. That said, despite Islamabad's bankrolling of the Afghan Taliban, the Durrand Line was not ratified as an international border during the Taliban's watch in the 1990s. This however, hasn't appeared to have changed Pakistan's policy pursuit - international commentators note that Islamabad is ready to tolerate the domestic Taliban in order to keep alive its strategic depth policy in the aftermath of NATO's withdrawal.

Afghan foreign policy still views Pakistan as artificial construct that will one day dissolve in the face of the multiple conflicts within its society. A similar point was echoed to me last year in Kabul when I met with senior members of the Afghan administration.

The disputes in the region remain territorial based on past histories. There is another aspect - one of identity which ultimately many fall back into - that cannot be ignored. One day NATO will have to go. And so it should. However, consider this comment from the LA Times:

A plausible scenario upon the large-scale departure of international troops in 2014 is either disintegration into civil conflict or a de facto division of power along ethnic lines, with a Pakistan-backed Pashtun bloc in the south and east lining up against one or more northern non-Pashtun blocs that might well gain military support from India and Uzbekistan, if not Iran. Recent signs indicate that many key players are already rushing to consolidate their positions within this framework, already operating, for all intents and purposes, in a post-2014 world.

 

Ghazala Javed غزاله جاوید

I saw Ghazala Javed غزاله جاوید in concert a little over a year ago and she held the stage with a real presence - combining talent, beauty and grace. The news, therefore, of her death stuns me all the more.

Ghazala's death has generated world-wide media interest and various sources have reported the events of her death (alongside her father) as a domestic 'honour' killing, rather than an act traced to the Taliban in Pakistan's restive north. Ghazala's popularity stemmed Pakistan, Afghanistan, the UAE and across the Pashtoon diaspora. Coming at a young age, her death puts her alongside the many media icons whom I have periodically honoured for being forever known for their youth, beauty and voice.

Inalillahi wa ina illahi rajioun. Of course, the many unnamed people across the world who are killed and injured daily in various acts of violence are not forgotten and I hold a thought for each and all. From Allah we came and to Allah we return. May she rest in peace.

تور خان

Peace and Togetherness

The art of classical calligraphy is famed across the Muslim world, and many of the languages that are written in an Arabic-based script have fine examples of calligraphy in manuscript, carvings and other décor.

With Pashto, this is harder to find, but I include an example here. It is a peace message for Afghan unity entitled سوله او یوالے (Peace and Togetherness) that reads beautifully.

 

Tor_Khan تور خان

Malalai of Maiwand

The setting for Dr Watson's injuries (from the Sherlock Holmes stories) was on the Maiwand battlefield, one of the principle battles of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Whilst the character was clearly fiction, the battle was real and one of the heroes of that battle was a woman, killed on the battlefiled, known as Malalai of Maiwand د معيړند ملالۍ. Although it is Ayub Khan who became known as the Victor of Maiwand, it is said that it was Malalai (or Malala) who actually saved the day.

British sources, unsurprisingly, do not mention Malalai. Her actions may not have been noticed by any of the British, or they may not have seemed as consequential as they were to the Afghans. Afghan women are very rarely mentioned at all so it is interesting that Afghan men who should honour her actions and turn her into a national hero who is still revered today. 

Malalai came from Khig, a small village not far from the Maiwand battlefield, and was the daughter of a shepard. Both her father and fiancée had joined with Ayub's army in the attack on the British on July 27th 1880 (which some say was also her wedding day), and like many women, Malalai was there to help tend to the wounded and provide water and spare weapons. Eventually there came a point in the battle where the Afghan army, despite their superior numbers, started to lose morale and the tide seemed to be turning in favour of the British. Seeing this, Malalai shouted out:

که په میـــوند کـې شهـــید نـــه شـــوی
خدایګو ﻻلـیه بـې ننـګۍ ته دی سـاتینه

"Young love! If you do not fall in the battle of Maiwand,
By God, someone is saving you as a symbol of shame!"

This gave many of the Afghan fighters and ghazis a new resolve and they redoubled their efforts. At that moment one of the leading flag-bearers fell from a British bullet, and Malalai went forward and held up the flag (some versions say she made a flag out of her veil), singing a landay:

خــــال بـــه دیـــار لـــه ویـــنو کیــــږدم
چــــې شینکي باغ کې ګــــل ګلاب وشــــرمویـنه
که په میـــــوند کـــې شهـــید نـــه شـــوی
خــــدایګو ﻻلــــیه بې ننـــګۍ ته دي ســـاتینه

"With a drop of my sweetheart's blood,
Shed in defense of the Motherland,
Will I put a beauty spot on my forehead,
Such as would put to shame the rose in the garden."

But then Malalai was herself struck down and killed. However, her words had spurred on her countrymen and soon the British lines gave way, broke and turned, leading to a disastrous retreat back to Kandahar and the biggest defeat for the Anglo-Indian army in the Second Afghan War. Ayub Khan afterwards gave a special honour to Malalai and she was buried at her village, where her grave can still be found.

 

Malalai - Afghan Heroine of Maiwand by Garen C Ewing licensed under Creative Commons

Kabul: A City At Work

In my trawls through blogs of note, I came across this one. Away from the news of the war and the political uncertainties, these short films offer a glimpse into life and work in Kabul, Afghanistan. I chose the film here because it features a version of a soundtrack that is connected to an early memory of mine. The song "Yema da Truck Driver" is a light-hearted song, that brings a little smile back to me as I remember hearing this on cassette tape way back when. The version that I know from the movie, Orbal, is available here.

Being a jingle truck painter, is a contemporary art form. What better than to recognise this here:

Tor_Khan تور خان

A Tale of Three Apartments

... Actually, a Tale of Four

A week ago, I lived in the high rise towers looking over the busy commercial heart of Abu Dhabi around Airport Road and the area known as Madinat Zayed. For a few years now, it has been home, but I've always been aware of the transience of living in a place like this. Enjoy the sun, the little perks, soak up the culture, walk safe and so on. Avoid growing roots - that's the nature of change in the Khaleej - a basic reminder, I give to myself. 

I've had many visitors over my time here; people who have come especially to stay and have always had room to keep them comfortable. This year - with my family and I shuttling between continents, I've been equally lucky to have had staying visitors most weekends throughout the year. Melmastiya, is a Pashtoon duty and one, that on most occasions has been an honour rather than a duty.

My work has been a drain at times and balancing things has been testing. Still Allah is Merciful and I ask only for patience, faith and the will. Then, my company decides to move me and this accelerates my desire to move on. It was fated to happen.

To be honest, I resisted being moved, but in the end lease contracts on my apartment ended and I was obliged to move.

So, I end up in this apartment on the other side of town, just weeks before my contract closes. This is not intended to be a home, just a place to rest my head whilst I work on my dissertation and see my contract out. I move in and within a day, I suspect some kind of infestation in the kitchen. I have insect bites at night and I request a visit from Pest Control. They tell me cockroaches, and after they leave, there are many dead ones in the kitchen and they are now in the bedroom on the bed. 

I walk out of the apartment and decide that I will not stay in there and I check into a hotel apartment studio suite. Very nice; very clean and I get my first good nights sleep in days. I call the company and tell them I will not go into work and I will not return to the apartment. They move me into a cleaner unit but I spend the day off work cleaning, scrubbing and yes, getting rid of the cockroaches that had crept into my boxes.

So here, I am. Four Apartments in one week.

Counting down the days.