The PakistanAfghan Borderland Pashtun Tribes Descending into Extremism eBook Khan Idris
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In this major study of Pashtun tribal hybridization shifting toward Salafism Islam, Dr. Idris argues that central to the understanding of the current militancy and extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan is the recognition of the methods utilized as the Salafists made inroads into Pashtun society along with the impact of Salafists on the tribal, social, political, religious, cultural, and even the daily lives of the Pashtuns. This study utilizes a series of case studies from a small village in the Pashtun border region to demonstrate that the Pashtun tribes in the Pakistan-Afghanistan borderland are in the process of shifting toward Salafism as their traditional Hanafi Sufism beliefs are discarded. The author argues that this shift has been undermining the traditional tribal and religious structure to create much of the instability that fuels conflict in the region.
"The borderlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan where the Pashtun tribes live remain one of the most volatile places in the world. Nothing is more important, therefore, than to understand the dynamic in that society between religious and tribal leadership. Khan Idris' book could not be more timely as it focuses on precisely this area and this problem. It is a book that must be read by everyone wanting peace and stability for the peoples of that region."
- Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, School of International Service, American University
"An authentic, penetrating view of the gravitation of a traditional Pashtun tribe towards an intolerant branch of Islam, Salafism. This study greatly aids our appreciation of an on-going religious, social, and political transformation in the borderlands that carries the potential to spread to the rest of Pakistan and radically alter its regional and international posture."
- Marvin Weinbaum, Middle East Institute, Washington, DC
The PakistanAfghan Borderland Pashtun Tribes Descending into Extremism eBook Khan Idris
Khan Idris’ "The Pakistan-Afghan Borderland: Pashtun Tribes Descending into Extremism" provides a timely and unique view of a volatile region that will likely continue to present foreign policy and security challenges to the United States for years to come. As a Pashtun native of the region, who subsequently earned a sociology Ph.D. at the University of Illinois with a focus on social change in traditional societies, he brings a unique perspective to the problem. Taking advantage of his strong family ties to this frontier region, Idris focuses on a community with which he has life-long familiarity. This micro focus is one of the principal values of the work. Most existing studies analyze Islamic militancy and tribal radicalization in more general terms; whereas Idris focuses on the village level, specifically, the Jehangir Khel tribesmen of Pak Kaya village. Idris maintains that, because Pashtun tribes are fractured and decentralized, understanding the local tribal and village dynamics helps better explain the wider phenomenon of Islamic extremism, jihadist fervor, terrorism and insurgency in the area.Idris begins his analysis describing traditional society based on a coexistence between Pirs (revered holy men or “saints”) and Sufis with traditional tribal forms of leadership consisting of the jirga (council of elders) and individual Khans and Maliks. Mullahs were considered inferior to the Pirs and usually did not hold leadership positions except in times of grave emergencies when the normally fractious tribes united temporarily to fight invaders. Overall, the Sufi-influenced Hanafi form of Islam practiced by Pashtuns tended to promote a tolerant attitude towards other faiths. This changed during the jihad against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that saw a steady rise in the influence of extremist Salafism spread by foreign jihadists and preachers. Decades of proselytism by the Salafist Tablighi Jamat organization has also had a major impact. Consequently, Idris concludes that Salafist thinking and practice have taken root in the border region and should no longer be considered alien. This gradual process of religious conversion is producing social and political changes that conflict with the traditional Pashtun way of life. Islamic extremism and tribalism are incompatible; underlying much of the conflict in the border region is a struggle for power between traditional religious and tribal leaders and the new religious zealots exemplified by doctrinaire Taliban mullahs. The explanation of this process makes Idris' work especially timely and relevant given ongoing events in the region.
Idris documents how Pashtun Salafists imbued with the zeal of converts embrace jihad and seek to impose their beliefs on others, through intimidation and violence if necessary. According to Idris, since 2007 they have killed or driven from their communities many Pirs, Khans and Maliks. On the other hand, he reiterates that Tablighi Jamat officially eschews violence. On that point, various Islamic scholars whom I have interviewed stress that Salafism per se, depending on how it is interpreted, does not invariably promote armed jihad. Salafists in different countries disagree among themselves as to what specific contemporary situations call for jihad . Accordingly, Idris states that Salafism ‘s key to success in the Afghan-Pakistan border region has been the peaceful recruitment of members of the traditional power structure . He stresses that this gives the contemporary Salafist movement in the border region a unique characteristic in that it is not controlled primarily by mullahs. Instead, Idris argues that the most prominent new Salafi Amirs - such as North Waziristan’s Hafiz Gul Bahader - enjoy both religious and tribal (secular) power. Idris’ study goes into detail regarding this critical process of conversion and its consequences, describing the histories of various individuals and families, and showing generational splits within the same families with traditionalist Sufi fathers rejected by Salafist sons. As is often the case, religious conflict masks deeper social and economic conflict. Idris summarizes this very perceptively: “The local tribesmen have also been using Salafism to destroy the local tribal and religious structure as low status Pashtuns are enabled to take control of entire tribal regions in what is best described as a landless peasant revolt as the actual owners, the Khans, are displaced. “ Idris describes the observable changes that take place in a village once Salafism takes over. Education and employment for women are limited severely, and certain tribal customs abandoned, such as drumming and other forms of traditional music and singing, parties with female dancers in the hujras (men’s meeting houses), various types of sporting and cultural events, and so forth.
A particularly valuable section of Idris’ study is his comparison of the beliefs and practices of the traditional pashtunwali (code of the Pashtuns) with the Salafist creed being adopted by an increasing number of Pashtuns who see it as more modern, rational and individualistic than collectively-oriented tribal law. It is worth emphasizing that Idris casts this as a result of modernization. In analyzing the drivers of change from Sufism to Salafism, Idris observes that “instead of making the Pashtuns more liberal and secular, the modern institutions, such as modern education, exposure to city life and jobs in the modern economy, are converting the Pashtuns in the village into Salafists who follow a more restrictive version of Sunni Islam.” This has much wider import beyond the Afghan-Pakistan border region. It has long been a Western assumption that modern education and economic progress bring about stability in developing countries. On the contrary, evidence from various parts of the world suggests that modernization can be highly destabilizing and exacerbate underlying social conflicts rather than ameliorate them.
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The PakistanAfghan Borderland Pashtun Tribes Descending into Extremism eBook Khan Idris Reviews
A fascinating book that explains how the extremist have made inroad into one of the most traditional societies--Pashtuns. Dr. Idris did a great job in helping the readers understand the current militancy and extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Dr. Idris explains how the Pashtun tribes in the Pakistan-Afghanistan borderland are in the process of shifting toward Salafism as their traditional Hanafi Sufism beliefs are replaced, undermining the traditional tribal and religious structure, which has been acting as a glue to hold fractured society. This is a book must be read by anyone interested in studying the Pashtuns, extremism, and terrorism in the region and beyond.
Khan Idris’ "The Pakistan-Afghan Borderland Pashtun Tribes Descending into Extremism" provides a timely and unique view of a volatile region that will likely continue to present foreign policy and security challenges to the United States for years to come. As a Pashtun native of the region, who subsequently earned a sociology Ph.D. at the University of Illinois with a focus on social change in traditional societies, he brings a unique perspective to the problem. Taking advantage of his strong family ties to this frontier region, Idris focuses on a community with which he has life-long familiarity. This micro focus is one of the principal values of the work. Most existing studies analyze Islamic militancy and tribal radicalization in more general terms; whereas Idris focuses on the village level, specifically, the Jehangir Khel tribesmen of Pak Kaya village. Idris maintains that, because Pashtun tribes are fractured and decentralized, understanding the local tribal and village dynamics helps better explain the wider phenomenon of Islamic extremism, jihadist fervor, terrorism and insurgency in the area.
Idris begins his analysis describing traditional society based on a coexistence between Pirs (revered holy men or “saints”) and Sufis with traditional tribal forms of leadership consisting of the jirga (council of elders) and individual Khans and Maliks. Mullahs were considered inferior to the Pirs and usually did not hold leadership positions except in times of grave emergencies when the normally fractious tribes united temporarily to fight invaders. Overall, the Sufi-influenced Hanafi form of Islam practiced by Pashtuns tended to promote a tolerant attitude towards other faiths. This changed during the jihad against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that saw a steady rise in the influence of extremist Salafism spread by foreign jihadists and preachers. Decades of proselytism by the Salafist Tablighi Jamat organization has also had a major impact. Consequently, Idris concludes that Salafist thinking and practice have taken root in the border region and should no longer be considered alien. This gradual process of religious conversion is producing social and political changes that conflict with the traditional Pashtun way of life. Islamic extremism and tribalism are incompatible; underlying much of the conflict in the border region is a struggle for power between traditional religious and tribal leaders and the new religious zealots exemplified by doctrinaire Taliban mullahs. The explanation of this process makes Idris' work especially timely and relevant given ongoing events in the region.
Idris documents how Pashtun Salafists imbued with the zeal of converts embrace jihad and seek to impose their beliefs on others, through intimidation and violence if necessary. According to Idris, since 2007 they have killed or driven from their communities many Pirs, Khans and Maliks. On the other hand, he reiterates that Tablighi Jamat officially eschews violence. On that point, various Islamic scholars whom I have interviewed stress that Salafism per se, depending on how it is interpreted, does not invariably promote armed jihad. Salafists in different countries disagree among themselves as to what specific contemporary situations call for jihad . Accordingly, Idris states that Salafism ‘s key to success in the Afghan-Pakistan border region has been the peaceful recruitment of members of the traditional power structure . He stresses that this gives the contemporary Salafist movement in the border region a unique characteristic in that it is not controlled primarily by mullahs. Instead, Idris argues that the most prominent new Salafi Amirs - such as North Waziristan’s Hafiz Gul Bahader - enjoy both religious and tribal (secular) power. Idris’ study goes into detail regarding this critical process of conversion and its consequences, describing the histories of various individuals and families, and showing generational splits within the same families with traditionalist Sufi fathers rejected by Salafist sons. As is often the case, religious conflict masks deeper social and economic conflict. Idris summarizes this very perceptively “The local tribesmen have also been using Salafism to destroy the local tribal and religious structure as low status Pashtuns are enabled to take control of entire tribal regions in what is best described as a landless peasant revolt as the actual owners, the Khans, are displaced. “ Idris describes the observable changes that take place in a village once Salafism takes over. Education and employment for women are limited severely, and certain tribal customs abandoned, such as drumming and other forms of traditional music and singing, parties with female dancers in the hujras (men’s meeting houses), various types of sporting and cultural events, and so forth.
A particularly valuable section of Idris’ study is his comparison of the beliefs and practices of the traditional pashtunwali (code of the Pashtuns) with the Salafist creed being adopted by an increasing number of Pashtuns who see it as more modern, rational and individualistic than collectively-oriented tribal law. It is worth emphasizing that Idris casts this as a result of modernization. In analyzing the drivers of change from Sufism to Salafism, Idris observes that “instead of making the Pashtuns more liberal and secular, the modern institutions, such as modern education, exposure to city life and jobs in the modern economy, are converting the Pashtuns in the village into Salafists who follow a more restrictive version of Sunni Islam.” This has much wider import beyond the Afghan-Pakistan border region. It has long been a Western assumption that modern education and economic progress bring about stability in developing countries. On the contrary, evidence from various parts of the world suggests that modernization can be highly destabilizing and exacerbate underlying social conflicts rather than ameliorate them.
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