PESHAWAR: The incident of 9/11 proved devastating for Pakhtuns because it deeply impacted their political, economic, social and cultural fabric, according to a recently published book.

The thought-provoking book titled ‘Pa Pakhto nawal au afsana baanday da 9/11 asaraat’ (Effects of 9/11 on Pashto novel and short story), has been written by young Pashto writer and research scholar Muhib Wazir.

The book presents a brief critical review of a dozen Pashto novels and a few short stories penned down by noted Pakhtun writers across the Durand Line in the backdrop of 9/11.

Mr Wazir says that the tragic incident caused further rifts and divisions among the Pakhtuns, living in Afghanistan, tribal areas, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They were internally displaced or forced to migrate to other parts of the world and face the brunt of dissociation from their families and land.

“From 2006 to 2012, around 1,035 prominent tribal chiefs, elders and Maliks have been killed by militants while scores of others have been forced to flee to safe havens. With it, Pakhtuns lost the golden traditions of jirga, hujra and a strong inter-tribal and intra- tribal confidence. Also, writ of the state institutions weakened with every passing day especially in tribal agencies which once used to be abode of perfect peace,” the writer comments.

Book exploring repercussions of the incident on Pashto fiction, culture launched

Another serious effect on Pakhtuns, the book notes, was that various militant outfits particularly those affiliated with Al-Qaeda imposed their own interpretation of Islamic values on the local residents and forcibly barred them from involving in any cultural activity including music, attnr, and even attacked heritage sites and tombs of Pakhtun Sufi saints.

“It severely damaged the cultural roots forming a collective Pakhtun identity and brought its artistic evolutionary journey to a standstill thus blocking its way to a forward-looking Pakhtuns’ creative and peaceful society. Poets, writers, performers and folk singers were condemned and fear was spread. Militants blew up schools in large number while girls were asked to stay in homes,” Mr Wazir says.

The writer admits that 9/11 has also cast some positive effects on the political and social life of Pakhtuns. He says that earlier Pakhtuns were of the view that the war game being played on their soil since very long was probably the fight of religion (Islam) and infidelity (kufar) but he believes that after 9/11, it dawned on Pakhtuns that bloody battle fought in their region was in fact for political and economic gains.

“They became conscious politically more than ever before. Pakhtuns were exposed to an international outlook from which they learnt a lot. Under the current circumstances, interestingly, the male-dominated Pakhtun society became aware of the women rights including their right to get education. Pakhtun women play important role in our society more actively compared to a few decades ago,” Mr Wazir states.

Pakhtun poets and fiction writers have focused on delineating sufferings and issues of people adversely affected by militancy in their writings.

According to the author, Wagma Saba Amir an Afghan writer’s novel ‘Bangrewaala’ is written on the issues of Pakhtun women. ‘Che da fan gutay qalam shwe’ is a short story written by senior fictionist Tahir Afridi. Pakhtun poets and writers have condemned terrorism and militancy in all its manifestations and forms and consciously bemoaned cultural loss.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2015

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