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

Dr. Muhammad Kashif Ali

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:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347926962_Cultural_Heritage_and_Extremism_in_Pakistan_Re-focusing_on_the_Kalasha_of_Chitral_Pakistan

Kalashas in Chitral Valley having the weirdest names in the world (Feature)

Kalashas in Chitral Valley having the weirdest names in the world

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 4:09:05 by Naveed A Bari

If anyone in Pakistan thinks “Sharbat Khan” and “Mohabbat Khan” are weird names to say the least, they should take a detour of the scenic Chitral valley and ask for the names of the Kalasha people living there.

The Kalasha does probably have the weirdest names on earth.

Named after the items and utensils of daily use, some of them which are hard to find, the children in the valley are often named after “Telephone”, or “Computer” or even “Balti (bucket)”.

Predominantly polytheistic, the Kalasha’s proudly call themselves the direct descendants of the Alexander the Great and hold pagan views about life, faith and destiny.

Most scientists and anthropologists dispute the legend: No genetic ties between Kalasha and Greeks have been discovered, and scientists believe the Kalasha are Indo-Aryans whose religion has some commonalities with pre-Zorastrian Iranians.

But regardless, the legend once lured busloads of Greek tourists to the valleys, seeking a link to their ancestral past.

Women wear vibrant-colored embroidered dresses and beaded headdresses called “susutr" — are viewed with both admiration and suspicion by the Islamic majority. As militant Islam gains hold in regions surrounding the Kalasha — most recently with Pakistan’s
cease-fire agreement with the Taliban in the nearby Swat Valley — the fate of Pakistan’s indigenous tribes hangs in the balance.

If asking for a `telephone` or `cooker` in the remote Kalash valley of Rumbur or Bumburate the local people lead you to someone`s house; take it easy as Kalash people have been naming their children after household items since long.

Zahid Ali, a university student doing research on Kalash culture, said that in the Kalash dialect the local names of both men and women hardly carried any meaning. However, he said that the Kalash try to avoid repeating a name already used.

Mostly uneducated and backward, the people do not have access to basic education and health facilities and life in the rugged mountainous region is anything close to a comfortable one. Subsistence farming is the source of livelihood where mostly the women
tend to the fields and men follow the other essentials of life.

”No two Kalash can be found with the same name,” says Zahid, adding that the Muslim names like Saifullah Jan, Abdullah were now being used.

He said that a stranger could not differentiate between a man and woman through their names, but now the Kalash women had starting using Muslim names like Fatima, Khadija, Shahida and others. Enumerating some funny names of the Kalash, he mentioned Number-One,
Mobile, Radio, Cassette, Akhbar, Chaprasi. He said that `Pepsi` was the original name of a young boy living in his neighbourhood.

Source:

http://www.newspakistan.pk/2012/02/14/Kalashas-in-Chitral-Valley-having-the-weirdest-names-in-the-world