Pashtunwali dates back to the pre-Islamic era in history and is a code the Pashtuns follow regardless of any difference in geographical location. The social code produces loyal and devote people as well developing high-class male models, which they believe to be far greater than that of Western culture (Dyk 2011). The foundation of Pashtunwali is based on justice, self-respect, hospitality, forgiveness, love, tolerance, loyalty, equality and independence. Of all of those traits listed none is more important to the Pashtuns than honor (izzat). Honor is what makes a person a Pashtun and part of their community; however, if he or she loses their honor they are not given rights, protection or support from the community. Due to the repressive nature of Islamic radicalism, many Westerners would be shocked to find that there is a culture, which is severely independent and values individual liberty. This is due to Islam religion dominating a large portion of the Afghan culture for centuries. Surprisingly, the Islamic identity of the Pashtuns is only one thousand years old. This may explain how the religion corrupted Pashtunwali, since it is reportedly five thousand years old. Pashtunwali provided guidelines, which helped make a peaceful and hospitable Afghanistan. An example of this hospitality is seen through reports of the accommodation of Jews and Christians. This holds true to the Pashtun’s ethics when they recognize both these religions to be part of "the book". The new image of the Pashtuns contrasts these characteristics due to the fascism of the Taliban's perverted Deobandi-Wahhabist Islam. This form of Islam had been exported from Pakistan and was remotely known in Afghanistan. Upon the Soviet invasion, in 1979, the Pashtun code ...
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...nd all subsequent tribes are interconnected and reinforce the ancient rites of ‘honor’ as mentioned previously (Ali 2013). The Taliban takes their view from the Koran and uses it to become dictators and promote war with these tribal notions, which dilute the purpose, meaning and nature of their holy scripture (Gardez & Peshawar 2006).
Thus we clearly see a few major aspects of slanting the major doctrines of Islamic protocol in the most conservative sense. One might compare these differences and subsequent impact on the Roman Catholic church when Luther and fellow Protestants revised and slanted conservative doctrines which again as we see in the changes for better and worse, depending on one’s cultural, political, and economic state and background. The impact in this split caused an enormous conflict and revision of dogma as happened in the Islamic transformation.
Pashtuns have more control over things, as Hosseini talked about in the novel, they had more control in their history. When Amir was describing his father as, “…a towering Pashtun specimen with a thick beard, a way ward crop of curly brown hair…” (Page 12), was way different compared to the way he described Ali, a Hazara. Amir did not realize that he was describing the Pashtuns as they were better than the Hazara’s, also when Amir mentioned Hassan he said how he did not call him his friend because Hassan was a Hazara and he was his servant. Although he did say they were like brothers because they grew up together but never did he say friends. The tragedy that happened in the novel when Hassan was rape, sometimes it can be seen as a betrayal because Amir did not help Hassan, Pashtun betraying a Hazara.
By 1996, popular support for the Taliban among Afghanistan’s Southern Pashtun Ethnic group tremendously helped the Taliban come to power. (Encyclopedia Britannica) The Pashtuns represent an Eastern Iranian Ethno-linguistic group with its headquarters mainly in Eastern and Southern Afghanistan. This chain also practices the Islamic code of conduct in their culture (which explains why they had such support for the Taliban.) The Pashtuns gained attention from the world from their support to the Taliban,the group is similar to the Taliban in many ways, they also exclude women from joining, even without women the Ethnic group has a huge following with a total population of over forty million, as stated in New World Encyclopedia. Consequently, the Support from the Southern Pashtun Ethnic Group and other influences the Taliban was able to seize the Capital of Afghanistan and gain control of all of the country from 1996 to
"The Taliban." Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Gale Cengage Learning, 2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. .
In My Forbidden Face, Latifa explains how the Taliban are waging a cultural war against Western values. The Taliban’s goal in Kabul is to secure the environment where purity of people, especially of women, may be sacred again. However, in the book, Latifa discusses many issues that the people from Kabul experience at the hands of the Taliban such as the plight of women and men’s struggles, their views on news, media, and art, people’s education, and their religion. Throughout the book, the methods that the Taliban reinforce are very unreasonable, which leads to violence.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
Smart, Ninian, and Richard D. Hecht. "Scripture and Tradition in Islam- The Qur'an and Hadith," Sacred texts of the world: A Universal Anthology, ed.. Crossroads Publishing, 1982. 130-32,135-41,144-46,150-53,158-59,162-64. Print.
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
Throughout history it is evident that many religions have been tried, tested, and, for some, radically changed. Many religions have gone through periods of time in which the way they were run or enforced underwent changes in practice and leadership. In many cases disagreements and differing outlooks among members of certain religions were to blame for these changes. Christianity and Islam are two examples of religions that have experienced changes over the course of their existence. While these religions seem to have little in common at first glance, both have strikingly similar pasts that consist of radical splits due to disagreements among members of the Christian and Islamic churches, resulting in new branches within each religion.
On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy gives us insight to the philosophical views of a certain sect of Islam, and how it influenced it 's followers to view the world around them. Although it is helpful, this is written from a very biased position and it cannot be said that the views of the author are the views of Muslim culture as a whole. There is a constant attack on another religious group throughout the article that helps us to understand what this specific sect deems right and wrong through comparison of the groups.
Afghan women are treated as an inferior group compared to the Afghan men. Many Afghan women are “required…to cover themselves completely when in public. They also made it illegal for women to work outside their homes. Women who violated Taliban laws were punished severely” (World Book). The consequences they had faced for insignificant trifling actions were inhumane and simply outrageous. For example, many of them were publically beaten for accidentally revealing their ankle under their veil (Bobic). The measures taken in order to make certain that women are basically kept invisible were malicious. The veils they wear and were forced to wear during the Taliban reign are usually black and thick and they also have to keep a screen on their face so that no one could see their faces. The screen makes it hard for them to breathe but they had no choice since removing the screen would be a punishable crime. Even women working for the Un...
However much Islam and Christianity would seem to share common ground, the discussion is not complete without noting the parallels between this two that have taken center stage. Some of the remarkable differences as they try to answer deep life complexities arise in the areas of religious practices by both their adherents and the clergy (Dorothy 13-28). “There is also a stark contrast to the belief system subscribed to, means of salvation, scriptures”. The most prominent difference present concerns the belief of life after death and practices of depicting the metaphysical
Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: theological themes in comparative perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Print.
There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.