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Bacha Khan and Nonviolence: Hope for Peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan

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Bacha Khan and Nonviolence: Hope for Peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan EURASIA REVIEW | BY JAHAN ZEB* BACHA KHAN AND NONVIOLENCE: HOPE FOR PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN By Jahan Zeb t was a historical day that Bacha that he was born and raised in the Khan (1890 - 1988) was born in the mountainous region of Pashtun land that strategic tall mountains of Pashtun was agrarian and encountered with land located on the border of family and tribal feuds. Bacha Khan was IAfghanistan and Pakistan. Bacha Khan is sanded to see such difficulties and also known as, Abdul Ghafar Khan, Fakhr hardships. -e-Afghan, non-violent Muslim soldier of Islam and a man to match his mountains. The 6’5”charismatic Khan stood up to When Bacha Khan was died, flags were overcome it through community lowered in Afghanistan, Pakistan and mobilization, education, and social and India because the people of these economic reforms. He raised over countries have respect for his services to 100,000 strong nonviolent army of men, earn freedom. women, and youth — the Khudai Khidmatgars, or servants of God — Khan is standing tall in the line of the drawn from the multi-ethnic traditions of finniest leaders of the world such as the subcontinent (currently India, Mahatma Gandhi, Mustafa Kemal Pakistan and Bangladesh) and Atatürk, Martin Luther King and Nelsen Afghanistan. These servants of God Mandela in many aspects. Bacha Khan’s included the diverse cultures, exclusivity was eminent due to the fact ethnicities, nationalities and religions Political Reflection Magazine | Issue 11 | 121 EURASIA REVIEW | BY JAHAN ZEB such as Muslims, as well as Hindus, and sisters but they did not respond with Christians, Parsees, Sikhs, and Buddhists. violence. Bacha Khan writes in his They came together in the cause of autobiography Zama Zhwand au Jaddo peace, social justice, religious tolerance, Jehad (My Life and Struggle) that freedom and human dignity for all. “violence promotes dislike and hatred. Anyone can do violence but only strong Bacha Khan was beaten, jailed, and people can practice nonviolence exiled by the British rulers of United because nonviolence needs courage.1 India because they thought that his This was the message that he gave to his reforms may be converted into a freedom people which still continues in form of the movement if he is allowed to reform his 2.3 million members of the Awami people. When his reforms were blocked, National Party Pakistan. his servants of God movement joined hands with Indian National Congress to According to Senator Afrasiab Khattak, raise a voice for their victimization. And peace envoy, Government of there they started struggle for the Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, the nonviolence freedom of India from the British rulers. philosophy of Bacha Khan is based on the teachings of Buddhism and Islamic Khan mentored his nonviolent army to sageness - the basic principles of internalize the nonviolence struggle and Pashtuns and regional society which is prepared them to peacefully protest fully aligned with universal humanism against the British rule to get India and bonding.2 free. The British Army beat the Khudai Khidmatgars and dragged them in the The west resisted the philosophy of streets, removed their clothes and nonviolence and struggle for freedom of humiliated them in front of their mothers Bacha Khan due to the cold war rivalry Bacha Khan Bacha Khan with Mahatma Gandhi 122 | Issue 11 | Political Reflection Magazine EURASIA REVIEW | BY JAHAN ZEB among the USSR, India the West. services of Bacha Khan and work Thankfully this mind-set is slowly towards free trade and shared changing because violence can no more market to bring economic confined to specific countries and prosperity for their future regions. It is in this context that the generations. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton quoted Hollywood and Bollywood needs to Bacha Khan in an Iftar (evening meal for make films on the life and struggle breaking the daily fast during the Islamic of Khan legacy to advance a month of Ramadan) dinner hosted by her greater, broader, and inspired “that we need to be inspired by our understanding of what is currently leaders to fight poverty, injustice and perceived as Muslim, Pashtun, and hate with, “the weapon of the Prophet- Afghan. His heroic life offers a patience and righteousness.” Well, that, profound message of hope for to me, sums up much of what we these increasingly troubled times.4 3 celebrate tonight as we breakfast.” Notes: Over two million courageous followers of Bacha Khan are fighting the worst form of * Jahan Zeb is the co-founder of the militant violence, social and political APEX (Art, Peace and Education instability in Pakistan with the Exchange) Canada and freelance writer. nonviolence weapon that Bacha Khan His opinion and comments on peace gave to them. Pashtuns are not only building in AfPak region appears on VOA fighting this fight against militancy for and the Hamilton Spectator. He can be their own survival but the broader reached at [email protected] regional and regional peace and stability. 1. Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Zama Zhwand au Jaddo Jehad( My Life and What can be done? Struggle) (Kabul, 1983) 2. Afrasiyab Khattak ! Bacha Khan and The civil society, academia and the Nonviolence, Kabul Seminar, international community need to Retrieved February 27, 2012 study and analyse the struggle of from http://www.youtube.com/ Bacha Khan and create positive watch?v=o3bXL3G2R1U discourse through seminars and 3. Remarks by Hillary Rodham conferences to defeat extremism Clinton at the Annual State and bring peace in AfPak and the Department Iftaar Dinner. (2009). region. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from The people and governments of US Department of State website: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India http://www.state.gov/secretary/ need to include the life of Bacha rm/2009a/09/129232.htm Khan in their national curricula to 4. The Frontier Gandhi Badshah Khan highlight positive role model to | A Film by T.C. give hope for peace to the children McLuhan. Retrieved February 29, and youth. 2012 from http:// The governments of Afghanistan, www.thefrontiergandhi.com/ Pakistan and India need to find about.html common bonds through the Political Reflection Magazine | Issue 11 | 123 .
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