After reading the excerpt from I am Malala I was struck by several quotes. To try and make sense of them, I looked at the distinct cultural values of Pashtun people. They follow a cultural code called Pashtunwali (PG10) that is ingrained within their being and unites them under the same principles.
Honor is perhaps the most important aspect of the codes; as it is stated in I Am Malala, “Without honor, the world counts for nothing” (pg 10). “Nang” being the backbone of the codes, may reinforce the other aspects, some of which bring about violence and others peace and community.
The nature of violence could come from the component called “Basal” or, justice and revenge (Ali). Looking at a quote from the excerpt can exemplify this: “We fight and feud among ourselves so much that our word for cousin— tarbur— is the same as our word for enemy” (pg 10). I found this quote very intriguing as earlier in the excerpt it is stated that “In our culture, every man is your “brother” and every woman your “sister.”(pg 5). The two seem contradictory, but perhaps, like families, cultures also have a relative they feud with.
A more uniting value is, “Melmastia” or hospitality; another key portion of the codes. Hospitality implies one transcends race, religion, economic status, and previous relations (Ali). A similar idea, “Nanawatai” or Sanctuary, means that you offer people protection (Ali). Yet another aspect of the code is “Imandari”, which means righteousness; striving for goodness both in word and in deed,” (Ali)
My favorite quote is, “maybe I would take off my shoes and hit them, but then I’d think if I did that there would be no difference between me and a terrorist. It would be better to plead, “OK, shoot me, but first listen to me. What you are doing is wrong. I’m not against you personally, I just want every girl to go to school.” (pg 6). This seems contradictory to the Pashtunwali idea of honor and revenge. Pleading is not normally considered and honorable thing, but is reason? Instead of reverting to violence, it seems she wants them to understand. Is violence, no matter how severe, the reason why she says throwing her shoe at them would make her “just as bad”? Are people in general too quick to violence, and instead need to need to listen and reason? Furthermore, she does not seem to portray the man who shot her, as an evil terrorist worthy of “Badal”. During an interview published by The Guardian, Malala says, “…people are brainwashed. That’s why they do things like suicide attacks and killing people. I can’t imagine it – that boy who shot me, I can’t imagine hurting him even with a needle. I believe in peace. I believe in mercy” (Shamsie). Does she see the man as a “brother” versus an enemy?
Looking at these values, is there a balance between honor, justice, righteousness and hospitality? Can you achieve them all without violence? Can you achieve one but not the other?
Sources:
Ali, Yasmeen Aftab. “Understanding Pashtunwali.” The Nation. Nawaiwaqt Group of Newspapers, 06 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
Shamsie, Kamila. “Malala Yousafzai: ‘It’s Hard to Kill. Maybe That’s Why His Hand Was Shaking'” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 07 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education. N.p.: Little, Brown, 2013. N. pag. Print.