Pakistan: Mingora: Jihadi Music Good--Pashtun, Bad

Buneri, Shaheen. "Talibanization of paradise." Malakand Times, February 6, 2008.

Would that the children mounting an offensive against Pakistan from the marbled floors of Lal Masjid had given their parents ten seconds of consideration in the process; would that any with arms in Somalia appeal to the whole wide world for a cessation in violence and then beg Allah (among others, God or mortal) for mercy in the face of disease and famine.

Islamic militants move through their own worlds, bringing to and with them extraordinary devestation and pain.

Shaheen Buneri's piece in the Malakan Times details the destruction of the Swat Valley, once "the most beautiful and scenic valley in South Asia."

Contrary to Buneri's tone, and this deduced from life in my own backyard one step west of America's first chain of eastern mountains, I would not suggest any rural area without its environmental and social issues. However, I'll go with this from Buneri: "It is not a far past that people in Swat would work in their orchards and rice fields and would earn sufficient amount of corn and money to live with honor and dignity. There was a Music Street where beautiful Swati girls would dance to the tune of artistically rich Pashto music for the greater delight of their visitors."

I believe that.

I believe that until pressured by fighters motivated by Maulana Fazlullah and others, one could find peace in Mingora, Pakistan, listen to radio, purchase a CD of local folk music.

Here is a corroborating piece on the web:

Khan, Marvaiz. "Pakistan: Music and militancy in the frontier." Radio report with transcript. Freemuse: Freedom of Musical Expression, February 25, 2008.

Khan's conclusion provides a starting point for understanding what "cultural anhilation", a term dishonestly paired with "western influence", really means in Mingora, Pakistan:

"Pashtuns possess thousands years old social and cultural history. Music is an integral part of their society and shows their liberal approach towards life, but the intensified attacks on music centres, absence of cultural institutions and lack of opportunities confronted by Pashto singers have endangered Pashtun's cultural and musical heritage."

The western arts and entertainment communities have been built solely on the retail sales of media and on ticket sales for film and theatrical performance: no one, not ever, has been forced to purchase an artist's record or a seat in a movie house--people bring themselves to the experience of music, a fair portion of it, as with symphony, absent altogether of language.

Conversely, in a locale like Mingora, anger directed toward western influence, as with so much venom directed toward Jews and Americans under the guise of "pure Islam", only serves to destroy the property, livelihoods, and lives of local villagers. Instead of burning the latest DVD featuring guitar blues out of Nashville, the Jihadi bombing takes out first the Pashtun's access to recorded indigenous folk music and then, by threatening singers and players, destroys also the possibility of its renewal.

What is Islamically impure about Pashtun folk music? Some Pashtun, please explain that to me.

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Comments

[tammy swofford]

Jim,

Although not a Pashtun, you forced me to dig in my print archives for an article from the Wall Street Journal. Coffee is cold now, so you owe me a fresh cup, next trip to D.C.

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=7289

My own highlights include:
"Many Southeast Asian Muslims now navigate by guideposts from the Arab world." This is also occuring in the Northern Caucasus.

"Things are either Islamic or they are not." Think Bi'dah.

"We need to purify our theaters from those alien elements." Concept of purity comes into play.

"Although more moderate Malays worry that their culture is fading, few speak up." Because they don't speak, their own children will one day oppress them for their moderation.

Best Regards,

Tammy Swofford