PASHTUN

A Pashtun is someone who is Pashto-speaking and they are followers of Pashtunwaliq

Pashtuns mainly live Eastern Iranian, Northwest Pakistan, and Southern Afghanistan

Pashtu is the language the of the Pashtun people and one of the two official languages of Afghanistan

The Pashtun’s main religion is Islam although some are Sunni Muslim as well

The Pashtun are part of the Islamic government. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is seperated into 34 provinces. The president is head of state and head of government.

Pashtun culture is mostly based on Pashtunwali and the usage of the Pashto language.
Pashtun culture is a unique blend of native customs with some influences from South and Western Asia.

The indigenous Pashtun people follow Pashtunwali or Pakhtunwali which is a moral code of values that outlines an "honorable" lifestyle. It is also a loose system of law and governance that dates back to prehistoric times and is still followed to this day

Pashtunwali CODES

• Pashtunwali codes often contradict the Qur’an
• MELMASTIA: hospitality and protection is required to be given to all equally
• BADAL: revenge will be done and returned in equal force to an insult of land, wealth, and especially a women's purity
• ZAMAKA: protecting your land and wealth
• NANAWATAY"to go in":self humiliation is required to receive protection from an enemy or when entering somewhere to be forgiven

The Pashtun tribes' oral tradition says that when the twelve tribes of Israel were dispersed, the tribe of Joseph, and other Hebrew tribes, ended up settling in the Afghanistan region.

SOURCES

• Wikipedia
• http://uwf.edu/atcdev/afghanistan/People/Lesson6Pastunwali.html