There are non-Taliban poets in the 'Poetry of the Taliban’
By Hanan Habibzai
It is truly a matter of controversy as it appears that non-Taliban Afghan poets are presented as Taliban. It is a matter of shock to read in the Independent that Ezatullah Zawab, a permanent journalist and poet, is Taliban poet. It is still unclear how many more (non-Taliban names) are there in the ‘ Poetry of the Taliban’.
Zawab is not a Taliban but a critic of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and the continuous political and social corruption within Karzai’s government. He studied at the Nangrahar University, working as a freelance journalist since 2001 in eastern Afghanistan. His reports mainly published by IWPR and the Pajhwok Afghan News.
He was among the first journalists who covered the killing of tens of civilians in June 2008 where American-led air-strike bombed a wedding convoy in Shinwari district in eastern Nangrahar province killing more than 55 civilians including the bride. Most of the victims were children and women. In the aftermath of this atrocity he mourned the killings by reciting his poetry at a rally where including local officials thousands gather:
Devji’s article is a clear indication of his ignorance of the Afghan society their very sentiments. Military poetry exists in the literature of the Pashtuns (on both sides of the border: Pakistan and Afghanistan) for centuries because they have always been the victims of powerful invaders of the time, Alexander, the Mongols, the Persians, the Moghuls, the British, the Russians and now the Americans.
Among them the poems of the 16th century Afghan poet Khushal Khan Khattak are the most prominent. He has also written extensively on the subject of leadership and politics however we will present some of his poems on war and bravery:
Mr. Devji’s over implication of the Pashto poetry seems to cause such harm by enlisting Ezatullah Zawab as a Taliban regardless of understanding the current geopolitical situation of Afghanistan where American and Afghan security apparatuses are on the hunt for the Taliban. His article can potentially risk the life of Mr. Zawab and probably other non-Taliban poets criticising the US policies and military operations in Afghanistan.
As a critique of foreign invasion Zawab often reproaches high ranking officials for their involvement in high profile corruption, a reality which his fellow poets condemn too. I wrote this in 2009 when many poets turned to the war of the words against foreign invasion.
But a hybridity of pro-Taliban and independent Pashtun poetic list means international and local allies have failed to tackle informational battle against insurgency. Taliban have either succeeded to gain far-reaching support not only among Pashtun speaking villagers but also within Pashtun intellectuals.
This is a similar opinion which evoked criticism against former US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke: ‘‘The Taliban is woven into the fabric of Pashtun society on both sides of the border with Pakistan, and almost every Pashtun family has someone involved with the movement,’’ Holbrooke said.
Jamal Shinwari an Afghan researcher contributed to this article. Follow him on Facebook.
It is truly a matter of controversy as it appears that non-Taliban Afghan poets are presented as Taliban. It is a matter of shock to read in the Independent that Ezatullah Zawab, a permanent journalist and poet, is Taliban poet. It is still unclear how many more (non-Taliban names) are there in the ‘ Poetry of the Taliban’.Zawab is not a Taliban but a critic of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and the continuous political and social corruption within Karzai’s government. He studied at the Nangrahar University, working as a freelance journalist since 2001 in eastern Afghanistan. His reports mainly published by IWPR and the Pajhwok Afghan News.
He was among the first journalists who covered the killing of tens of civilians in June 2008 where American-led air-strike bombed a wedding convoy in Shinwari district in eastern Nangrahar province killing more than 55 civilians including the bride. Most of the victims were children and women. In the aftermath of this atrocity he mourned the killings by reciting his poetry at a rally where including local officials thousands gather:
I have long history and long story
I have a holy opinion
I believe in the books from heavens
I pray five times to God
So, respect my culture
For this, is it fair to consider him a Taliban just because he criticises the US atrocities in Afghanistan? If that is the case there are many politicians, scholars, academics and civil society organisations that criticise the US policies, in particular its military interventions. Should all these critics be termed as the Taliban instead of being critics of the US policies?Devji’s article is a clear indication of his ignorance of the Afghan society their very sentiments. Military poetry exists in the literature of the Pashtuns (on both sides of the border: Pakistan and Afghanistan) for centuries because they have always been the victims of powerful invaders of the time, Alexander, the Mongols, the Persians, the Moghuls, the British, the Russians and now the Americans.
Among them the poems of the 16th century Afghan poet Khushal Khan Khattak are the most prominent. He has also written extensively on the subject of leadership and politics however we will present some of his poems on war and bravery:
I tied the sword in the dignity of the Afghans
I am Khushal Khattak the brave of the age
In another instance he prefers the death of honour over the life of disgrace or of being occupied when he says:
In another instance he prefers the death of honour over the life of disgrace or of being occupied when he says:
Life's no life when honour’s left
Man's a man when honour’s kept
Man's a man when honour’s kept
Nation's honour and nation's fame
on life they have a prior claim
on life they have a prior claim
With thoughts of these I do remain
Unvexed with cares of loss or gain
In 19th century British occupation of Afghan was shocked by similar poetry when an intellectual of the time Mahmoud Tarzi began to publish anti-colonization verses in his newspaper, the Siraj-ul-Akhbar. According to modern-day Afghan historian Habibullah Rafi a poet of the time Maulavi Salih Mohammad’s work, which was published in Siraj-ul-Akhbar on 16th April 1915, has provoked many against British colonialism:Unvexed with cares of loss or gain
The world has become furious
Shaken and angry
Big states in the world
In Europe andAsia
All of them are involved in war
They are all stained with red blood
British are in grief
They are very upset
Look at the bravery of Turkish
Romans and Othman,
In 1980s when soviet invaded Afghanistan poetry became a major tool of information war against the Russian occupiers. Poets such as Ishaq Nangyal turned out to be a voice of anti- Soviet resistance:
If my both eyes are excluded from me
If my chest is holed with bullets
If my tongue is cut off from throat
If my red blood sheds from my veins
For the honor of the country I accept all these
I am an Afghan, I fulfill my intentions
However, Mr. Devji looks at the complexity of the Pashto poetry in very simple way. According to him any poet criticising an invader in Afghanistan is a Taliban. Albert Einstein used to say that make things as simple as possible but not simpler probably because it can put once life in jeopardy.Mr. Devji’s over implication of the Pashto poetry seems to cause such harm by enlisting Ezatullah Zawab as a Taliban regardless of understanding the current geopolitical situation of Afghanistan where American and Afghan security apparatuses are on the hunt for the Taliban. His article can potentially risk the life of Mr. Zawab and probably other non-Taliban poets criticising the US policies and military operations in Afghanistan.
As a critique of foreign invasion Zawab often reproaches high ranking officials for their involvement in high profile corruption, a reality which his fellow poets condemn too. I wrote this in 2009 when many poets turned to the war of the words against foreign invasion.
But a hybridity of pro-Taliban and independent Pashtun poetic list means international and local allies have failed to tackle informational battle against insurgency. Taliban have either succeeded to gain far-reaching support not only among Pashtun speaking villagers but also within Pashtun intellectuals.
This is a similar opinion which evoked criticism against former US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke: ‘‘The Taliban is woven into the fabric of Pashtun society on both sides of the border with Pakistan, and almost every Pashtun family has someone involved with the movement,’’ Holbrooke said.
Jamal Shinwari an Afghan researcher contributed to this article. Follow him on Facebook.
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