Understanding Afghan Religion - Research Paper Example

LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Unreached People Group Project Submitted to Dr. Jeff Brawner, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of GLST 500 – D11 Global Studies Survey by Anthony Viglione April 3, 2015 Table of Contents Part 1 – Abstract 1 Purpose of the essay 2 Research questions linked to the topic 2 Background information 3 A map showing the Pashtun region 7 A survey of missions work 7 Proposed Strategy 12 Limitations and outcomes 14 Conclusion and recommendations 14 Bibliography 16 Part 1 – Abstract It is very clear from the Bible, in the book of John 3:16 that God is merciful and wants to have a reunion with his people and that is the reason he sacrificed Jesus Christ. In Mathew 9:35, Jesus Christ preached and taught in towns and villages so that they may hear about the kingdom of God. Likewise, in the book of Mark 16: 15 Jesus asked his disciples to go and declare about the kingdom of God to everyone in the world. As Christ’s followers, it is critical to execute these commands and seek the unreached people group to teach them about the good news. The concept of the bible about unreached people groups speaks about the individuals who are like the flock of lost sheep.1 From this perspective, this group of individuals does not represent a particular ethnic group rather anyone who is in darkness and does not know about the word of God. According to Joshua Project, the Pashtun population comprises of 6,287,000 people in Afghanistan. The main religion among the people is Islam that represents 100% and Christianity is at 0.01%. The evangelical level is at 0.01%.2 For a start, this paper will describe the background of the Pashtun population in regard to their family structure, economy, language, religion and history. In addition, this paper will explore the present position of mission work including their history. Moreover, the current strategies and challenges will be elaborated. From this point of view, I will submit an approach to preach the good news to the Pashtun people in Afghanistan. Having religion and theology background, experience in various missions, I will create a plan for my proposed missionary team. The plan will comprise of partnership with Christian institutions and churches, donations, strategic prayers and dispatching teams to Pashtun Muslims for a short period. Purpose of the essay The purpose of this essay is to reach the unreached group of the Afghanistan Muslim in specific the Pashtun people, to hear the news of the kingdom of God. In addition, the aim of the essay is to draw a plan on the techniques to be used to plan the mission. Also, the strategies employed, the challenges, and the outcome of the mission will be discussed. Research questions linked to the topic What is the historic background of Pashtun people? What are other mission works among Pashtun in Afghanistan? What is the strategy to preach to the Pashtun population in Afghanistan? What is the recommendation and outcome of the mission? What are the limitations of the proposal? Background information The Pashtuns live in the region expanding from southeastern Afghanistan to northwestern Pakistan.3Their historical background is not clear because a lot of information about them is not fully studied. In the second millennium BC, cities in the areas dominated by the Pashtuns have experienced migrations and invasions by various groups. These groups include Russians, Achaemenids, Kushans, Arabs, British, Mongols, Hephthalites, Mauryas and Medes. 4 Before 1979, the Pashtun population formed a minority of the total population in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, after the creation of Afghan nation, by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, they dominated the government.5 Conflict in the region is the division of the Pashtuns living in Pakistan that is the opposite region of Durand line. In addition, another origin of war is the fact that the Pashtuns are organized into tribes and their royalty is to sub tribal and tribal classes. Conflict is witnessed between the Hazaras and the Pashtuns more often than any other ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The problem dates back in 1880-1901 when King Abdul Rahman Khan attacked the Hazaras killing thousands of them. He took a lot of their land and allocated it to the Pashtun, rendering the Hazaras poorest among the other tribal groups. The invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet in 1979, contributed to a change in the make-up of the Afghan population. Approximately 6.2 million people fled from the country whereby 85% were the Pashtuns. This contributed to a decrease of their population in Afghanistan. During this time, the Pashtun formed the majority of the soldiers in the jihad against the occupying groups, which favored the Soviets. From the cultural point of view, the Pashtun group has a traditional code of behavior that is referred to as Pashtunwali. Pashtunwali is separated into three major sections namely (nanawati) protection and mediation, (melmastia) hospitality and (badal) retaliation. Nanawati was the responsibility of the community to provide protection to people looking for asylum. While badal was what was imposed as a measure to solve blood feuds, property destruction and personal abuse. Melmastia was the holy obligation of hospitality that required each village to preserve a space in the mosque or a guest room to give shelter to visitors.6 Those who broke the codes brought dishonor to themselves and in extreme cases, to the entire tribe. The power of the traditional code of behavior has been weakened by Islamization, loosening if the tightly formed tribal group and sedentarization. The code of behavior also put emphasis on revenge and safeguarding women. In the Pashtun culture, a child knows about his or her tribe at the age of seven years. The tribes have distinct manner of praying, dressing, speaking, burial ceremonies and eating. In Pashtun culture, a person’s tribe influences their lives in terms of education, social class, security, marriage and employment.7 The main language that the Pashtuns speak is Pashtu but some of the group that reside in Kabul communicates through Dari. Pashto language was given official status in 1980, by the Constitution.8 Therefore, Pashto language is the national dialect of Afghanistan. In addition, it is used as an instruction language in learning institutions. Most of them belong to Sunni denomination of Islam. This is because they believe to have descended from one of the Muhammad’s follower who spread Islam throughout Afghanistan known as Qais.9 The Pashtun tribe used Islamic religion as a basis of establishing the Taliban that is defined as ‘students’. The Taliban is one of the most secretive political groups in the world that implements rigid laws that are founded on the explanation of Sharia. The Taliban ruled the nation for almost 300 years until 1992. Generally, the Pashtuns practice animal husbandry; engage in fighting, agriculture and trade.10 The Pashtun culture has assisted in maintaining the independence of Afghanistan. On the other hand, their culture has contributed to the unending internal disputes between clans and families. The tribal Jirga’s are used to make group decisions and solve the disputes. A shura which is an Arabic term is employed to define small consultative groupings.11 Another element of Pashtun culture is xenophobia that spreads in the entire Afghanistan. The suspicion of strangers is very strong and in is clear from warning to the foreigners and government. The Pashtuns demand that no one touches their land, women and treasure. The Pashtun culture values the good of a group more than that of a person. The honor of men is attached to their role of defending and safeguarding women and the potential to manage the conduct of the women. In most cases, the women pay the cost of preserving a family’s honor though segregation, restricted movements and honor killings. In addition, females are given away in marriage to pay for a wrong committed by a member of the family.12 From the family perspective, a Jirga is the socio-political institution formed to manage the activities of the tribal organizations. Each person that is part of the Jirga has the ability to portray maturity, talent and wisdom. The existence of hierarchy determined the relationship within a Pashtun family and its relationship with members of a clan, khan and specific clans.13 The family consists of related individuals and those who possess the same religious norms. A lot of marriages among the Pashtuns are organized when the bride and groom are children. It is the role of the parents to decide who gets married to their children on the basis of their tribe, how happy the marriage will be and, the respect of the family and source of income. The groom’s parents look for a bride who is easy to interact with and hardworking because of the times she will live with them. From the other hand, the bride’s parents look out for a groom who is honorable, strong and brave.14 Economically, the Pashtuns occupy the fertile plains of the northeastern Afghanistan that contribute so much of the market economy. They were main centers of industrial and agrarian production, specifically, in cotton and animal farming. The area generated a lot of the foreign exchange income and government’s tax until the genesis of war in Afghanistan. The area has limited medical and modern educational facilities compared to other regions of the country.15 With access to cities and trade, the Pashtuns accumulated wealth that assisted them to create a strong political and social framework. Through the huge grants from tax-free lands, provided by Ahmad Shah in the eighteenth century, the Pashtuns were able to develop a ruling class. The ruling class inherited authority that lasted for many centuries. Consequently, their leaders acquired education that enabled them to be more culturally enlightened compared to other rural tribes. In addition, the leaders were able to rule their tribal followers because majority of them were their clients.16 The Pashtun leaders rely on their fellow Pashtun kinsmen and set one group against another to remain the power. Before the Communist Coup of 1978, most of the commanders and officers in the intelligence, security bodies, military and police were Pashtuns. The non-Pashtuns were offered the positions of file, conscripts and rank. The rulers implemented this policy so as to reduce the chances of non-Pashtuns to govern the country through military coups. The other reason was to avoid rebellion and uprisings among the population.17 All in all, sword fighting, wrestling and dance remain as significant aspects of the Pashtun culture. Most of their dances date back to the early conquest by the Greek of the region. Currently, the Pashtun women are organizing movements to obtain equal rights with men who dominate majority of the Pashtun culture.18 A map showing the Pashtun region Source: Joshua Project. "Pashtun, Northern in Afghanistan." Http://joshuaproject.net/. 2015. Accessed April 20, 2015. http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14256/AF. A survey of missions work Edwards College established in 1900 by the Church missionary society in collaboration with Islamia College initiated in 1913, enhanced missionary work. The two institutions aim was to promote civilization of the Pashtun people. The Edwards College also carried out educational programmes and activities among the community. In addition, the college was constructed by the Anglican Church of England in Pakistan with a missionary objective. It was a critical centers for Christian missionaries in the twentienth century especially the ones from English speaking world. Moreover, the Edwards College was a paramount platform for Christian missionaries before and after the anti-soviet resistance in Afghanistan. On the other hand, the Islamia College had an aim to civilize the Pashtun tribe utilizing the British colonial strategies.19 In addition, the college acted as an intellectual hub for the Pashtu scholars where the growth of Pashto, evolution of Pashtun cultural figure through Pashtunwaly was a national issue. The two colleges were born from a concept by a reformist movement and Aligarh College of Sir Syed. The aim was to view the colleges as Pashtun Aligarh Colleges founded with the same mission and vision. However, because of the British concept behind the inception of the colleges, they lacked originality and nobility of Aligarh. Despite this, the two learning institutions took care of Muslim and Christian students’ educational needs and are paramount educational centers.20 British and Russian Christian groups in Afghanistan encountered the holy war (jihad) as a way of safeguarding Islamic foundations from Christian atheists. In Afghanistan it was the sovereign obligation of a respected leader to proclaim jihad against foreigners who attempted to acquire their land. The Pashtun group perceived jihad as a call to implement Pashtunwali, their code of ethics and honor.21 The war against the Christians was seen as a way of liberating the Muslims and eradication of Israel. The ‘war’ saying was to save the Muslim nations from the res and preserve green. The red signified communism while green stood for the people of faith.22 Despite the call for holy war against the Christians, some missionaries succeeded in their mission work among the Pashtun tribe of Afghanistan. For example, in the year 1867 to 1912, Theodore Leighton Pennell served in a ministry of healing for twenty years in Afghanistan among the Pashtun tribe. He went through a hard time while at Dera Ismail Khan as he tried to begin a church among the aggressive Pashtun Muslim group. He had to identify himself with the people of the community by embracing their customs, Pashtun dress and eating habits while at the same time, maintaining his Christian mission and vision.23 He succeeded to gain new converts through evangelistic-medical tours where he supplied scriptures and preached in the gathering. To win many souls to Christ, Theodore Leighton Pennell opened a school for Pashtuns at Bannu that enrolled boys from the community. Having gone through Eastbourne College for his education, the Bannu learning institute was a copy of an English public school. The activities carried out in the school resembled those of an English public school that included cold baths. The sports held at the school included football and cricket.24 Through this, he was able to evangelize amongst the community with minimal resistance from the young generation. The spirit of evangelism walked hand in hand with political administration and military control. For instance, John Nicholson and Herbett Edwards who were British administrators in the new province of Punjab were passionately involved in Christianity. They spread the word of God with the same keenness as the rule of British. Some of the former Army officers were involved in mission work such as Major W. Martin that believed that God should not be dishonored among the believers.25 Edwardes oversaw a foundation of a mission school in Peshawar. The mission work was supported by church missionary society in England. The missionaries sent comprehensive information that provided the setbacks, social events, activities and successes to England. These missionaries were able to convert a few people among them ‘men of mark’. The converts included a soldier, a policeman, a killer and a plunderer and a robber. All these individuals joined the soldier fighting with the British. Some natives were transformed through dreams like in the case of a man who saw Muhammad preaching and then saw a door open where a more eminent man appeared and continued teaching. The man interpreted it that Christ was a greater teacher compared to Muhammad.26 Other mission work included translation of the Bible into Pashto language. Some missionaries involved in Bible translation included Reverend Mayer in the 1880s. The setbacks experienced by the missionaries included some converts going back to their Muslim belief after a lot of pressure from family members. Some missionaries approached regions where people had resisted Islam until 1895, for instance, Kafiristan. They used ‘native’ missionaries to gain entry into the territory because they were received with friendliness by the communities. The missionaries concentrated on education and medicine with attain the aim of healing both the body and mind.27 From another perspective, the Europeans extended their culture and Christianity through various means such as economic pressure, violence and coerciveness.28 The native community embraced Christianity openly and sought to integrate various indigenous activities into the new faith. However, the Christian belief was a concealed version of ‘culturicide’ that resulted in forbidding of all traditional events. The proliferation of Christianity leads to conflict of seasonal celebrations, native comprehension and equinox and solstice observations. As a result, most of the Pashtuns resisted the succession of their indigenous religion and understanding. Majority of the Christian missionaries aimed to change the religious faith of the Pashtuns to Christianity. Some Christian missionaries however, were an exception and turned into cult leaders. The Wahabbi missionaries transformed local Pashtun boys and young refugees into non-Muslim and Muslim executors. On the other hand, individuals like James Jones and David Koresh brainwashed their companions especially the medieval Christian priests to encourage the un-educated people to fight fellow Christian groups.29 It is also worth noting that women played a critical role in the early Christian church. The played the role of spiritual leaders, misters to ascetics and the poor, prophets, abbesses and martyrs.30 Majority of the martyrs in Afghanistan are women whose biographies are recorded. They include Turbo and her sister Martha, Theca and her followers, Candid, Danaq and five daughters of the covenant, Christina and Golindukht.31 Up to date women have recognized ministries but their official roles are restricted with exceptions on royal and noble families. In other cases mission organizations are created to protect the women from harsh conditions with an objective of evangelism. An example is the Women’s foreign Missionary Society.32 The objective of the organization included; a) giving hospitality to women and children and b) promote local woman’s war councils. In addition, the organization produced publicity in churches and gave afghans care packages. The spread of Christianity among the Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan is affected by the fact that the nation is exceedingly Islamic conservative. The individuals in the community risk losing their lives because of changing into Christians. In most cases the missionaries caught in the act of evangelizing are immediately expelled. The Pashtuns who convert to Christianity bring shame to their families and are killed without any legal implications.33 According to an article by Christian Aid Mission (2014), currently the Christian missionaries are absorbed in supplying large quantities of aid more than initiating an indigenous church. The mission is actively involved in Afghanistan and focuses on giving aid to afghan refugees fleeing from war. The refugees in most cases are outside their home country. 34 Proposed Strategy The strategy is to preach the good news to the Pashtun communities through missionaries going to them. The intent of the strategy is to ascertain that Jesus Christ is served as the ruler in changing church groups. The preaching about the kingdom of God will help the Pashtuns to withstand evil and realize important change in the community.35This strategy will execute by sending a team of missionaries to the country disguising as innovation and information technology professional. For the sake of maintenance, the team shall consist of ten members. The team will work in collaboration with the International Assistance Mission, an organization that represents Christian agencies. The choice of this organization is because it has been in Afghanistan for long since 1966. In addition, the team will also collaborate with Christian Aid Mission. The Christian Aid Mission is a Christian organization that is based in Pakistan that is a strategic place for carrying out evangelism activities. A few women will be incorporated in the team. The women will be in charge of organizing the activities and carrying out errands such as printing and typing. The men will be involved in field work research and evangelism. Putting into consideration the fact that the nation is Islamic, as missionaries we expect some form of resistance. The strategy acknowledges that the efforts in church growth and evangelism might not seem to be fruitful.36 We will invest much energy with low return on it. There is an anticipated frustration that is a positive emotion in this kind of task. There are four crucial areas that attention is concentrated to avoid little or no fruit in our mission. The first step is to ensure we are part of the vine. It is in accordance with Jesus’ teaching in John 15:1. In this chapter, Jesus says he is the true vine, and God is the vine dresser. He continues to say that any branch that does not bear fruit shall be cut off. For the branch that is fruitful, God prunes it to increase the yield.37 On this concept, the church is the branch attached to the vine that is expected to produce grapes. Jesus Christ does not bear fruits directly but through the church. For the strategy to be successful as well as the development of the church, the missionary team must be connected to Jesus Christ. The second plan is to ensure that we are reaching the suitable individuals. It will call for God’s guidance that he will use different ways to communicate his wishes to the team. In reference to Job 33:14 it states that God often speaks and has his way of speaking to a man. It is paramount because the call precedes the fruit. In addition, for the fruit to yield there is a need to obey God’s wishes and commands. For God says obedience is better than sacrifice.38 Thirdly, the utilization of the most suitable technique by the mission team must be implementing to get results. Different ethnic groups may relate to the word of God differently. Therefore, various methods will be established to match with each group. For example, there are different roles of the members of a family that is determined by factors such as gender. Hence, it is inappropriate to provide roles to women that may be offensive to the society. In addition, the communication method will be designed to ensure that the message reaches the people in the intended manner. It will include learning the correct phrases and the appropriate pictures and symbols that have a positive impact to the society.39 Limitations and outcomes The key limitation in reaching the Pashtun people in Afghanistan is Islam religion. The religion dictates their way of life and determines the role of everyone in the society. Converting from Muslim to Christian is a capital offense that is punishable by death. The Pashtun culture comprises of xenophobia where the tribe safeguards itself from invasion by the foreigners especially Christians.40 In addition, the concept of apostasy that unites Pashtuns to defend Islam limits the spread of good news. The conservative clerics use Shari’a to punish those that are in dispute with them. The outcome is that most of the converts preserve their invisibility by avoiding to publicly acknowledging their new faith.41 An example of an individual killed for apostasy is the case of Abdul Rahman an Afghan, who became a Christian in Europe. He was jailed for apostasy and sentenced to death. The Afghan public supported the ruling and thought the sentence was appropriate unless Rahman chose to recall his salvation and return to Islam. As a result, the government was pushed by external forces and authorities to release him but it defended itself on the grounds of Shari’a law. Abdul Rahman was put in the asylum in Italy on the ground of mental illness which proved that he could not be held responsible for his actions.42 Pashtuns may use such cases to convict the converts because they are under Sharia law. All these may limit or make the evangelical mission slow; therefore, the anticipated results might take longer time to attain. Conclusion and recommendations In conclusion, the Pashtun population in Afghanistan has a right to receive the word of God. Any means that is safe for the Pashtuns as well as the missionaries will help to achieve the overall objective. On this note, I recommend the use of Muslim perception of Jesus to preach to the unreached people. The Koran acknowledges the supernatural teachings of Jesus. In addition, it confirms that Jesus gave sight to the blind, raised people from dead, and cast out demons. Likewise, the Koran recognizes that Jesus healed lepers and made the deaf to hear and for this the Muslims are curious about his miracles.43 The aim is to challenge the unreached population with historical fact that Jesus healed in his power and name. The good thing is the Koran identifies the authority and power on Jesus’ ministry. From this perspective, the Muslim can be lead to recognize the utmost power and authority Jesus has now. Moreover, the Koran identifies the perfection of Jesus and confirms his life without sin. Nobody in the history not even Muhammad lived such a life. Muhammad is said to have asked for forgiveness seventy times each day. This fact can also be used as a guide to preaching to the unreached Muslim group. The fact that the Koran accepts the return of Jesus Christ can be a challenge to the Muslims by enquiring what answer they will give during rapture. It is according to John 14:6 where Jesus says he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one gets to the Father but through him. It is the goal to get the unreached group to confess that Jesus is Lord and accept him, so that they can get to heaven. Indeed, the unreached group has a chance of hearing the good news before the second coming of Christ. Bibliography Alston, Margaret. Women, Political Struggles and Gender Equality in South Asia. 2014. . Alikuzai, Hamid Wahed. A Concise History of Afghanistan in 25 Volumes: Volume 14. [Oklahoma]: Trafford Publishing, 2013. Benson, Carolyn Joy, and Kimmo Kosonen. Language Issues in Comparative Education Inclusive Teaching and Learning in Non-Dominant Languages and Cultures. Rotterdam: SensePublishers, 2013. . Banting, Erinn. Afghanistan: The People. New York: Crabtree Pub. Co, 2003. Barfield, Thomas J. Afghanistan A Cultural and Political History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. . Baiza, Yahia. Education in Afghanistan: Developments, Influences and Legacies Since 1901. Routledge, 2013 Clements, Frank. Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2003. Christian Aid Mission. Missionaries With Home Field Advantage. Accessed April 21, 2015. http://www.christianaid.org/Interactive_World/countryPages/Afghanistan.aspx. Canfield, Robert L., and Gabriele Rasuly-Paleczek, eds. Ethnicity, Authority and Power in Central Asia: New Games Great and Small. Routledge, 2010. Collins, Joseph J. Understanding War in Afghanistan. Washington, DC: National Defense University Press, 2011. Danver, Steven L. Native Peoples of the World: An Encylopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge, 2015. Daughrity, Dyron B. The Changing World of Christianity: The Global History of a Borderless Religion. New York: Peter Lang, 2010. Entezar, Eshan M. Afghanistan 101: Understanding Afghan Culture. [S. l.]: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Hendrickson Publishers. 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Christian Mission to Muslims: The Record : Anglican and Reformed Approaches in India and the Near East, 1800- 1938. South Pasadena, Calif: William Carey Library, 1977. Read More