Cultural Heritage and Extremism in Pakistan: Re-focusing on the Kalasha of (Chitral) Pakistan

Cultural Heritage and Extremism in Pakistan: Re-focusing on the Kalasha of (Chitral) Pakistan

Author: Dr. Muhammad Kashif Ali

Co-authors: Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chawla and Dr. Ghulam Shabbir

Abstract

This study is an attempt to explore, investigate and analyse threats of survival of the Kalasha people. Kalasha is the sole polytheist tribe of the Hindu Kush region-Pakistan. Once in near history, the Kalasha was the ruling tribe of whole Chitral valley for a long period. The Kalasha were raided by the Muslims in the 14^th century. The demarcation of Durand Line (Pak-Afghan border) in 1893 became their lifeline when they fell to the British Indian government while their tribe fellows at the other side of the Pak-Afghan border in Afghanistan were forcefully converted as a whole in 1896. Somehow, the Kalasha of Pakistan were leading their life according to their dastoor (culture & religion) and then military coup of 1977 brought ill-fate for them under pseudo Islamization of military ruler Gen. Zia-ul-Haq. The Talibanization/extremism suppressed the Kalasha indigenous tribe. The event of 9/11 devastatingly hit the tribe for their faith and their strategic location. As reactions and chain reactions of War on Terror many extremists and terrorist groups mushroomed, especially in tribal agencies and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan recently threatened the Kalasha to convert their faith or to be ready for genocide. The Kalasha people are seeking their survival through their unique identity. They could earn soft image trait for Pakistan, but unfortunately, extremism, terrorism and ill-governance of the state losing it for decades. If the government failed to protect them, we will lose a unique tribe and culture.

Keywords: Kalasha tribe, minorities, pagan tribe, Talibanization, extremism, cultural tourism, governance issues

Journal: Pakistan Social Sciences Review

The full article can be downloaded from:

Cultural Heritage and Extremism in Pakistan: Re-focusing on the Kalasha of (Chitral) Pakistan

Socio-Cultural Life of the Kalasha People of Chitral: A Study of their Festivals

Socio-Cultural Life of the Kalasha People of Chitral: A Study of their Festivals

By

Muhammad Kashif Ali and Muhammad Iqbal Chawla

Abstract:

The paper seeks to examine the cultural life of the Kalasha people and their festivals. It particularly focuses on Joshi, Rat Nat & Uchaw, Pul and Winter Solstice: the Chawmos festivals points out their role in the lives of the Kalasha tribe. Primarily, the study is based on documentary evidences recorded in secondary sources and combined with the data collected by the current researcher during various field visits and ethnographic surveys to the Kalashdesh (Kalasha valleys of Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir). The study probes the meanings of festivities and their cultural significance among the Kalasha tribe.

Journal of Pakistan Vision

Published by: Pakistan Study Centre, University of the Punjab, Lahore.

ISSN- 1681-5742

Vol. 20, No. 2, 2019

Full article can be downloaded from:
Socio-Cultural Life of the Kalasha People of Chitral: A Study of their Festivals

The Great Game & Alexander the Great: 19th century transformation in Kalasha material culture in northwest Pakistan

To read the article please click the link below:

http://thewonderhouse.co.uk/model-gandau-funerary-figurines-made-by-the-kalasha-people-in-chitral-district-pakistan

Rights activists highlight threats to existence of Kalash tribe

Rights activists highlight threats to existence of Kalash tribe
ISLAMABAD: `As members of the Kalash community we are facing threats to change our religion, our land is being occupied and the names of our places are being changed. However, the media is portraying only our dances rather than highlighting our issues.

This was stated by Gul Nazar, a representative of the Kalash community in Chitral, at a seminar on Thursday. The `Consultation on challenges for the Kalash community: the way forward` was organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) at a local hotel.

Ms Gul demanded that the Kalash area should be included in the World Heritage List in order to protect it.

`Development work should be carried out in the area and basicfacilities such as healthcare and education should be provided to the community. The syllabus of education should be in the local language.

Doctors come to the Kalash valleys during the summer season and go back as soon as the tourism season ends,` she said.`Kalash people are not aware of their rights. On the other hand, people from other areas are occupying their land. Dozens of Kalash people have been forced to change their religion. We have been trying to protect our graveyards as people even steal the bones of our deceased,` she alleged.

Ms Gul, who also looks after a Kalash museum, said the museum had all the information about the Kalash people butaround three dozen officials of the elite force are now stationed there due to which the visitors are facing problems.

`When we approached the police officer of the area to address the issue, he said we cannot teach him archaeology and he cannot not teach us security measures. So we had no option but to close the museum, she said. Luke Rehmat, another representative of the community, said the Kalasha religion was divided into pure and impure.

`Men cannot go to places where children are born and those who go to the delivery places cannot enter the respective village for a certain period of time but tourists violate these restrictions due to which the community suffers mentally as there are a number of stories (superstitions) associated with it,` he said.

`Our religious ways are being blocked and names of our places are being replaced with Muslim names such as Qaziabad and Ahmedabad,` he said.

Ali Ahmad Jan, the director of a civil society organisation, sustainable solution, said outsiders should not have the right to purchase land in the Kalash valleys like people of Pakistan cannot purchase land in Kashmir.

`Some religious groups have been working in the Kalash valleys and forcing people to convert to Islam. Once a Kalash person accepts Islam, they are not allowed to wear the traditional Kalash dress and even are suggested not to speak the locallanguage.

There are also some religious scholars who say every Muslim should convince at least six non-Muslims to accept Islam. As a result, forced conversions are on the rise in the Kalash valleys,` he said.

HRCP member Nasreen Azhar, who chaired the event, said the Kalash community land was being occupied by outsiders and a large number of constructions were underway in the area.

`People from other areas also go there to build restaurants. There is a need to look into all these issues,` she said.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said the Kalash community should move their case with the parliamentary committee on the marginalised people.

He said every person had the right to live and practice their religion in Pakistan.

Iftilcharuddin, Member National Assembly (MNA) from Chitral where the Kalash valleys are located, said there were severe security challenges in the area and the state had to fulfil its responsibility.
Source: http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=26_05_2017_152_003

سپریم کورٹ نے پشاوراورسندھ ہائی کورٹس کی جانب سےاقلیتوں کےاندراج کیلئے فارم میں کالم کے اضافے کا فیصلہ بھی معطل کردیا

مردم شماری فارم میں سکھ مذہب کا خانہ شامل کرنے کا فیصلہ معطل

اسلام آباد: سپریم کورٹ آف پاکستان نے ملک میں جاری حالیہ مردم شماری کے فارم پر سکھ مذہب کے خانے کو شامل کرنے کے حوالے سے پشاور ہائی کورٹ کے فیصلے کو معطل کردیا۔

پاکستان کی سرکاری نیوز ایجنسی اے پی پی کی رپورٹ کے مطابق چیف جسٹس میاں ثاقب نثار کی سربراہی میں سپریم کورٹ کے 3 رکنی بینچ نے پاکستان کے محکمہ شماریات (پی بی ایس) کے چیف کمشنر مردم شماری آصف باجوہ کی دائر کردہ پٹیشن کی سماعت کی، جس میں پشاور ہائی کورٹ کا فیصلہ چیلنج کیا گیا تھا۔

پشاور ہائی کورٹ نے اپنے فیصلے میں پی بی ایس کو ہدایات جاری کی تھیں کہ مردم شماری کے فارم میں تبدیلی کرکے اس میں سکھ مذہب کے اندراج کیلئے ایک کالم کا اضافہ کیا جائے۔

مردم شماری چیف کمشنر آصف باجوہ کا کہنا تھا کہ ماضی میں مذکورہ فارم میں اس قسم کی کوئی چیز شامل نہیں کی گئی ہے، جس کی وجہ سے بینچ نے فارم میں مذکورہ ممکنہ اضافے کے حوالے سے سوالات اٹھائے ہیں جبکہ مردم شماری جاری ہے۔

مزید پڑھیں: مردم شماری:دوسرے مرحلے میں سکھ مذہب کا خانہ شامل کرنےکا حکم

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ 1981 میں ملک میں ہونے والی مردم شماری کے مطابق سکھ برادری سے تعلق رکھنے والے افراد کی تعداد 0.003 فیصد تھی، مردم شماری کے دوران اور خاص طور پر اس موقع پر فارم میں اس قسم کی تبدیلی ممکن نہیں ہے۔

سپریم کورٹ کے بینچ نے دلائل سننے کے بعد پشاور ہائی کورٹ کا فیصلہ معطل کرنے کا حکم جاری کیا اور کیس کی سماعت کو غیر معینہ مدت کیلئے ملتوی کردیا۔

عدالت کا کہنا تھا کہ مردم شماری 63 اضلاع میں مکمل ہونے جارہی ہے اور اس موقع پر مردم شماری کے فارم میں اس قسم کی تبدیلی کرنا نا ممکن ہے۔

اس کے علاوہ عدالت نے سندھ اور پشاور ہائی کورٹس کی جانب سے مردم شماری فارم میں اقلیتوں کیلئے علیحدہ کالم کے اضافے کے فیصلے کو بھی معطل کردیا۔

خیال رہے کہ 22 مارچ 2017 کو پشاور ہائی کورٹ نے محکمہ شماریات کو مردم شماری کے دوسرے مرحلے میں سکھ مذہب کا خانہ شامل کرنے کا حکم دیا تھا۔

یہ بھی پڑھیں: 'مردم شماری والوں نے سکھوں کی پہچان کو ہی مٹا دیا'

سکھ برادری کی جانب سے دائر کی گئی پٹیشن کی سماعت چیف جسٹس پشاور ہائی کورٹ یحییٰ آفریدی کی سربراہی میں 2 رکنی بینچ نے کی تھی۔

محکمہ شماریات کی جانب سے ممبر حبیب اللہ عدالت میں پیش ہوئے اور عدالت عالیہ کو بتایا کہ مردم شماری کا پہلا مرحلہ جاری ہے جس کے باعث سکھ مذہب کا کالم فارم میں شامل نہیں کرسکتے۔

خیال رہے کہ پہلے مرحلے میں ملک کے 63 اضلاع میں جاری مردم شماری کے فارم میں سکھوں کی آبادی کا صحیح اندازہ لگانے کے لیے ’مذہب‘ کے خانے میں ’سکھ‘ کا آپشن نہ رکھنے پر سکھ برادری نالاں نظر آتی ہے۔

Source: https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1056540/