The Pashtun Culture: Differences and similarities

Most people assume that the majority of Afghanistan's population is made of Afghans. That would make sense, and politically, it is true. But on a cultural level, Afghanistan is primarily filled with Pashtun people, a culture that dates back to the 13th century.

These people have a unique culture that revolves around a code of honor called the Pashtunwali. The ideas in this document include milmastia (hospitality); tureh (courage); badal (revenge); and ghayrat (protection of one's honor) ( http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Afghanistan-to-Bosnia-Herzegovina/Pashtun.html)

These few ideas are the basis of a culture that has been present in the middle east for several ages. But, make no mistake, the pashtun culture does have its flaws. Differences between Tribes, clans, and families are causes of bloody violence, and social problems. The goals of tureh, and ghayrat can make for some sticky situations between tribes. The heritage of Pashtun families dictate that revenge must be taken to protect ones honor, to the point of battles, or murder.

There is some speculation that the Pashtun subculture is aiding The Taliban, protecting them, and providing resource. However, it is not logical to assume that because part of a society chooses to take action, the whole society is guilty of taking the same action. In each Clan and family there is different viewpoints, and opinions; just as there is in any other society, culture, or organization. For example, it is very true that some Pashtun people are just as extreme as those leaders and groups that believe that America, but other groups believe quite the opposite. The Global Pashtun Institute for peace and Democracy gives a perfect illustration of how the culture is diverse in more then one way. On GPIPD's website it states the following:

Mission Statement

The mission of Global Pashtun Institute for Peace and Democracy (GPIPD) is to promote and secure peace, democracy, human rights and development in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region and interact with academia, think tanks, and other stakeholders for the achievement of its goals and objectives.

Description

GPIPD is guided by the following principles and ideas:

• The principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• International peace and security, democracy, freedom, social justice and free market economy;
• Democratic pluralism, and equal rights for all without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, gender and political belief;
• The principles of secularism, as opposed to religious extremism, violence and terrorism;
• Non-violence, humanism, tolerance and peaceful coexistence;
• The idea of threat reduction, including threats posed by Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in the region and the prevention of war and armed conflict, emphasizing on the solution of conflicts through peaceful, negotiated settlement;
• Mutually beneficial cooperation and mutual respect in the relationship between all states, nations and ethnic groups;
• Equal rights of all peoples, nationalities and ethnic groups to develop their own socio-economic and cultural life, including equal opportunities for all without exception;
• The idea that peace, stability and development in Southwest Asia is in the interests of all peoples and governments in the region and the international community;
• The principles of the Pashtun social philosophy traditionally based on democratic norms of Pashtunwali (Pashtun way of life) which, in essence, is forward looking and open to reform and modernity.

Its important to realize that although some parts a culture may have a certain mindset, it is unwise to group all the people in that mindset. Clearly there are differences in the ideas, and beliefs of the people in Afghanistan. If our political leaders and military strategists would use this fact to our advantage the situation in Afghanistan would have a higher possibility of success. Instead of clumping all afghan people into a radical extremist group, we should make different strategies for different regions, aiding those that promote democracy, and furthering their ideals.