Anti-Pashtun sentiment

Last updated

Anti-Pashtun sentiment refers to prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed towards Pashtuns, Pashtun culture, or the Pashto language. Historically, this sentiment has roots in the British colonial era, where Pashtuns were characterised in official accounts as fiercely independent and resistant to state authority. These portrayals were used to justify control policies in the tribal regions of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. [1] [2]

Contents

In modern Pakistan, socio-political dynamics have sometimes contributed to perceptions of Pashtun communities as distinct or challenging to state authority. The advocacy for Pashtun rights, such as by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), has occasionally resulted in accusations of marginalisation or misrepresentation of Pashtuns in official narratives. [3] [4]

In Afghanistan, tensions have been reported between Pashtuns and other ethnic groups, particularly in regions dominated by Tajiks and Hazaras. Human Rights Watch has documented violence and displacement targeting Pashtuns, particularly after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. [5] [6]

Stereotypes in media and public discourse have also shaped perceptions of Pashtuns. In some cases, Pashtuns have been associated with extremism or militancy, reinforcing societal biases. [7] [8] [9]

Afghanistan

The traditional rivalry for power and influence between the Pashtun majority and the other ethnic groups of Afghanistan such as the Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks and Turkmen, have often stirred anti-Pashtun sentiments among the latter. In 1975, a political militant uprising broke out in Panjsher Valley against the rule of Afghan prime minister and Nationalist Daoud Khan, which was allegedly believed by some to have been "sparked by anti-Pashtun frustrations. [10] The Settam-e-Melli, led by Tajik activist Tahir Badakhshi, has been described as "an anti-Pashtun leftist mutation." [10] According to Nabi Misdaq, the Settem-e-Melli "had an internal programme of provoking minorities to armed resurrection to stand up to Pashtuns." [11] Settem opposed the Pashtun dominated Khalq government in Kabul and is believed to be responsible for the murder of Adolph Dubs. [12] [13] The Shalleh-ye Javiyd, a Maoist political party founded in the 1960s that predominantly drew support from Shi'a Muslims and Hazaras, was also similarly opposed to Pashtun rule in Afghanistan. [11]

However, Misdaq notes that these anti-Pashtun stances were usually engraved more in a "Shi'a-versus-Sunni Afghan ", "Dari-speaking-intellectuals-versus-Pashtun-rulers" and "majority-versus-minority" context rather than resentment on misrule or mistreatment by Pashtun kings and dynasties. [11] This could be because Afghan dynasties such as the Durrani Empire, although Pashtun by origin, had been considerably Persianised and had even adopted the Dari language over Pashto; this cultural assimilation made the Durranis culturally familiar to Dari-speaking non-Pashtuns and neutralized any ethnic hegemony. [11]

The Rabanni government which ruled Afghanistan in the early and mid-1990s was viewed by the Taliban as corrupt, anti-Pashtun and responsible for civil war. [14]

A Human Right Watch (HRW) report published in 2002 stated that, 'following the collapse of Taliban regime in Northern Afghanistan in 2001, a rise in Anti-Pashtun violence was reported in Northern Afghanistan. Ethnic Pashtuns from that area were subject to widespread abuses like killings, sexual violence, beatings, extortion, and looting'. [15] The Pashtuns were particularly targeted because their ethnicity was closely associated with Taliban, which could not be neglected by any evidence. The HRW report held three ethnically based parties like Uzbek Junbish-i-Milli Islami Afghanistan, Tajik Jamiat-e Islami and Hazara Hezbe Wahdat responsible for the abuses against Pashtuns in northern Afghanistan, but these accusations are confirmed only by the Pashtuns. [15] Many Afghan Pashtuns also held the Northern Alliance responsible for the abuses committed against the Pashtuns communities in the rest of Afghanistan. [16]

Pashtuns are also stereotyped as 'wild and barbaric' in Afghanistan by non-Pashtun Afghans and by some other Pashtun Sub-Tribes. [17]

Many Afghan Pashtuns viewed the Afghan National Army (ANA) as being dominated by a Tajik-led anti-Pashtun ethnic coalition. The Tajiks, on the other hand, view the Pashtun population as largely aligned with the Taliban. This in turn has created a civil war-like situation in Afghanistan. [18] [19]

Pakistan

Following independence, one of the factors of resentment among Pashtun population was the British-inherited name of the North-West Frontier Province, which did not represent Pashtuns unlike provinces e.g. Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan which were all named after their resident ethnic groups. Rajmohan Gandhi mentions that "persisting with the imperial name for a former empire's frontier province was nothing but anti-Pathan discrimination." [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazaras</span> Persian-speaking ethnic group mainly in Afghanistan

The Hazaras are an ethnic group and a principal component of Afghanistan’s population. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan, primarily residing in the Hazaristan (Hazarajat) region in central Afghanistan. Hazaras also form significant minority communities in Pakistan, mainly in Quetta, and in Iran, primarily in Mashhad. They speak the Dari and Hazaragi dialects of Persian. Dari, also known as Dari Persian, is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazar-i-Sharif</span> City in Balkh, Afghanistan

Mazar-i-Sharīf, also known as Mazar-e Sharīf or simply Mazar, is the fifth-largest city in Afghanistan by population, with an estimated 500,207 residents in 2021. It is the capital of Balkh province and is linked by highways with Kunduz in the east, Kabul in the southeast, Herat in the southwest and Termez, Uzbekistan in the north. It is about 55 km (34 mi) from the Uzbek border. The city is also a tourist attraction because of its famous shrines as well as the Islamic and Hellenistic archeological sites. The ancient city of Balkh is also nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashtuns</span> Ethnic group native to Afghanistan and Pakistan

Pashtuns, also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are a nomadic, pastoral, eastern Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the term's meaning had become a demonym for members of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashtunistan</span> Region inhabited by the Pashtun people

Pashtunistan or Pakhtunistan is a historical region on the crossroads of Central and South Asia, located on the Iranian Plateau, inhabited by the Pashtun people of southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, wherein Pashtun culture, the Pashto language, and identity have been based. Alternative names historically used for the region include Pashtūnkhwā or Pakhtūnkhwā (پښتونخوا), Pathānistān, or simply the Pashtun Belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Afghanistan</span>

The population of Afghanistan is around 49.5 million as of 2025. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multilingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between Central Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia. Ethnic groups in the country include Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, as well as smaller groups such as Baloch, Nuristani, Turkmen, Aimaq, Mongol and some others which are less known. Together they make up the contemporary Afghan people.

The 1998 Mazar-i-Sharif massacre took place in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan in 1998. At least 2,000 victims were murdered by the Taliban, with Human Rights Watch estimating that the actual number of victims may be much higher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunduz Province</span> Province of Afghanistan

Kunduz is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northern part of the country next to Tajikistan. The population of the province is around 1,136,677, which is mostly a tribal society; it is one of Afghanistan's most ethnically diverse provinces with many different ethnicities in large numbers living there. The city of Kunduz serves as the capital of the province. It borders the provinces of Takhar, Baghlan, Samangan and Balkh, as well as the Khatlon Region of Tajikistan. The Kunduz Airport is located next to the provincial capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sar-e-Pol Province</span> Province of Afghanistan

Sar-e-Pol, also spelled Sari Pul is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country. It borders Ghor and Bamyan to the south, Samangan to the east, Balkh and Jowzjan to the north, and Faryab to the west. The province is divided into 7 districts and contains 896 villages. It has a population of about 632,000, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The province was created in 1988, with the support of northern Afghan politician Sayed Nasim Mihanparast. The city of Sar-e-Pol serves as the provincial capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kakar</span> Pashtun tribe

The Kakar is a Gharghashti Pashtun tribe, based in Afghanistan, parts of Iran, and northern Balochistan in Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Alliance</span> 1996–2001 anti-Taliban military front in Afghanistan

The Northern Alliance, officially known as the United National Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan, was a military alliance of groups that operated between early 1992 and 2001 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. At that time, many non-Pashtun Northerners originally with the Republic of Afghanistan led by Mohammad Najibullah became disaffected with Pashtun Khalqist Afghan Army officers holding control over non-Pashtun militias in the North. Defectors such as Rashid Dostum and Abdul Momim allied with Ahmad Shah Massoud and Ali Mazari forming the Northern Alliance. The alliance's capture of Mazar-i-Sharif and more importantly the supplies kept there crippled the Afghan military and began the end of Najibullah's government. Following the collapse of Najibullah's government the Alliance would fall with a Second Civil War breaking out however following the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's (Taliban) takeover of Kabul, The United Front was reassembled.

Pashtun diaspora comprises all ethnic Pashtuns. There are millions of Pashtuns who are living outside of their traditional homeland of Pashtunistan, a historic region that is today situated over parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. While the (erstwhile) Pashtunistan is home to the majority of Pashtun people, there are significant local Pashtun diaspora communities scattered across the neighbouring Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab, particularly in their respective provincial capital cities of Karachi and Lahore. Additionally, people with Pashtun ancestry are also found across India; particularly in Rohilkhand, a region in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh; and in the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Outside of South Asia, significant Pashtun diaspora communities are found in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, the United States, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Iran, Australia, Canada, and Russia.

Sar-e-Pol or Sari Pul is the capital city of the province of Sar-e-Pol Province in northern Afghanistan. It is in Sari Pul District. Sar-e-Pol elevation is 2,155 ft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic groups in Afghanistan</span>

Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostly tribal society. The population of the country consists of numerous ethnolinguistic groups: mainly the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek, as well as the minorities of Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Gujjar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, Moghol, and others. Altogether they make up the Afghan people.

Pashtunization, is a process of cultural or linguistic change in which someone or something non-Pashtun becomes acculturated to Pashtun influence. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and second-largest in Pakistan.

The Battles of Mazar-i-Sharif, were a series of engagements fought during the Third Afghan Civil War between the forces of Abdul Malik Pahlawan and his Hazara allies, Junbish-e Milli, and the Taliban, from May 1997 to August 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persecution of Hazaras</span> Treatment of the Afghan ethnic group

The Hazaras have long been the subject of persecution in Afghanistan, including enslavement during the 19th century and ethnic and religious persecution for hundreds of years. In the 20th and 21st centuries, they have also been the victims of massacres committed by the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Hazaras have been systemically killed and discriminated against socially, economically, and culturally with specific intent, argued by some to constitute genocide. The Hazaras primarily come from the central regions of Afghanistan, known as Hazarajat. Significant communities of Hazara people also live in Quetta, Pakistan and in Mashad, Iran, as part of the Hazara and Afghan diasporas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 Herat uprising</span> Failed insurrection in Afghanistan

The Herat uprising, locally known as the Uprising of 24th Hūt was an insurrection that took place in and around the city of Herat in western Afghanistan, across several days in March 1979. It included both a popular uprising and a mutiny of ethnic Tajik Afghan Army troops against the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA). The communist regime at first appealed to its Soviet allies for help, but the Soviet leadership declined to intervene. After the insurgents seized and held the city for about a week, the regime was able to retake it with its own forces, and the subsequent aerial bombardment and recapture of Herat left 3,000 to 25,000 of its inhabitants dead. It was the worst outbreak of armed violence in the country in 50 years, and was the deadliest incident in the 1978-1979 period following the Saur Revolution and before the start of the Soviet occupation in December 1979.

As a geographically fragmented state, Afghanistan is separated into as many as 14 ethnic groups that have historically faced divisions that devolved into political violence. This conflict reached its culminating point in the 1990s with the rise of the Taliban.

Starting in the 1880s, various Pashtun-dominated governments of Afghanistan have pursued policies, called Pashtunization, aimed towards settling more ethnic Pashtuns in the northern region of Afghanistan.

References

  1. ↑ Khan, Zafar (2024-09-21). "Myths or Reality: Pashtun Indigenous Communities Resistance to State Authority in Colonial and Post-Colonial Era". Inverge Journal of Social Sciences. 3 (3): 13–22. ISSN   2959-4359.
  2. ↑ Kakar, Barkat Shah (July 3, 2023). "Reimagining the Pashtuns' Cultural Identity in Pakistan" . Retrieved January 17, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ "Revoke the ban on Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement in Pakistan". Amnesty International. 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  4. ↑ "3 protesters are killed in clashes with police after Pakistan banned an ethnic rights group". AP News. 2024-10-09. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  5. ↑ "Paying for the Taliban's Crimes:". Human Rights Watch. 2002-04-09.
  6. ↑ "Anti-Pashtun Violence Widespread In Afghanistan | Human Rights Watch". 2002-03-03. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  7. ↑ "A Tale of Struggle and Resilience for Pashtuns in Pakistan". The Citizen. 2024-02-18. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  8. ↑ "Structuring reality — media's myopic and often untrue portrayal of Pashtuns". Daily Times. 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  9. ↑ "Stereotyping the Pashtuns". Daily Times. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  10. 1 2 Arnold, Anthony (1983). Afghanistan's Two-Party Communism: Parcham and Khalq. Hoover Press. p. 39. ISBN   0-8179-7792-9.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Misdaq, Nabi (2006). Afghanistan: Political Frailty And External Interference. Routledge. pp. 105–106. ISBN   978-0-415-70205-8.
  12. ↑ Diego Cordovez & Selig S. Harrison, Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal (Oxford University Press, 1995), pp. 34–35.
  13. ↑ Jagmohan Meher, America's Afghanistan War: The Success that Failed (Gyan Books, 2004), p. 64.
  14. ↑ Katzman, Kenneth (2017). Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy (PDF). Congressional Research Service. p. 4.
  15. 1 2 "Paying for the Taliban's Crimes: Abuses Against Ethnic Pashtuns in Northern Afghanistan". Refworld. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Pashtuns face post-Taliban anger". Christian Science Monitor. 12 April 2002.
  17. ↑ "How can we negotiate with the Taliban? Afghan women know". United States Institute of Peace (USIP). 7 February 2019.
  18. ↑ "POLITICS: Tajik Grip on Afghan Army Signals New Ethnic War". IPS News. 28 November 2009.
  19. ↑ "Afghan Army Struggles With Ethnic Divisions". CBS News. 27 July 2010.
  20. ↑ Gandhi, Rajmohan (2008). Ghaffar Khan: nonviolent Badshah of the Pakhtuns. Penguin Books India. p. 243. ISBN   978-0143065197.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.