Another Tactic of Colonialism: Raking Up Lingual Controversy

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

The American Colonialism and its alliance of invaders have neither limited themselves to physical occupation of Afghanistan by dent of their armed forces; nor they are contented with the military muscles which they use against our defenseless people, killing them with sophisticated weapons and bombs; torturing them in the notoriously brutal detainment cages of Guantanamo, Kandahar and Bargram airbases. In addition to this, they have, insatiably, launched a broadside at our noble Afghan culture and valuable traditions. This, they are committing under the empty slogans of civil liberties, human rights norms, freedom of speech and choice of religion.

We have been witnessing these atrocities for the last eight years being perpetrated by the invading forces with impunity. In fact, they are leaving no stone unturned to wipe out our Islamic culture and Afghan traditions. If we go through the school syllabus which is compiled by the surrogate Kabul Administration and taught in all schools of the country currently, we will certainly come on the passages of Islamic injunctions and rules which have completely been deleted from the syllabus—passages that are very essential to distinguish a Muslim believing nation from a non-Islamic society; these are the very rules that water the soul of a Muslim but have callously been omitted with a scissors of prejudices, emanating from enmity to Islam.

They have also excluded passages about the Jihad’s obligation, and the verses of the Holy Quran pertaining to this obligation. Life accounts and history of Muslim heroes, fighters and of our Mujahid predecessors who were standing by their honors throughout their lives, have been removed. Not only That . They have deleted all the sagas, parables and heroical accounts which impart to the Afghans generations lessons of sacrifice for the protection of sovereignty of their country. In fact, these are the lessons which are fraught with anecdotes of honors and patriotism. They hold plenty food for thoughts. Pathetically, the passages have been replaced by the so-called books of history, religious studies, Pashto and Dari languages which re revised with an eye to the phraseology that coincide with the versions palatable to Christianity. All passages and characters have given their place to other characters and passages. For example in place of Alif=Allah, there is Alif=Anar ( pomegranate). Instead of Jim= Jihad, they have inserted Jim=Jowar (maize). For Mim=Mohammad (peace be upon him), they have put mim=manna (apple). In brief, there are other self-same alternations and changes in the text.

We categorically assert that on the one hand, the invading forces slaughter our people brutally and mercilessly because of their standing by Islam, Jihad, and honor but on the other hand, it is pity, that some non- governmental organizations under the pretentious titles of humanitarian services and charity works, are serving the goals of colonialism. They want the Afghans to become foreign to their own religion and traditions and encourage them to commit desecrations of religious rituals and affront against them. They call on men of letters to become apostates and heretics and misinterpret the meanings of the Holy Quran and the Sayings of the Holy prophet (peace be upon him). These NGOs assure them that they will protect them from legal prosecutions and will confront any untoward consequences what may it come. This practically has happened. They took some of them to Rome under the excuse of being mentally abnormal and others of them reached Paris and USA ostensibly under the worn-out jargons of freedom of speech.

Colonialism does not stop here; nor the crimes committed by them seem sufficed to satisfy their insatiable appetite. Still more, the gimmicks do not seem to quench their ambitions. They are bent on doing any and every thing in their power to weaken the Afghan people; to spin back the thread of national integrity of the Afghans; to play the inhabitants of Afghanistan against each other and to create protracted hostility among the Afghan people. The recent controversy about terminology is a practical case in hand, signifying the conspiracy of colonialism.

They are spreading the poisonous seed of abhorrence, detestation and animosity. It is ironically surprising that no man of letters and no association of cultural and academic activities have come to the forefront to raise their fingers against a flurry of hackneyed Western terminologies and fashions which are now finding circulation in our society. In fact, they are suffocating the Afghan culture and our lingual advancement. We can see that signboards in English surpass the signboards in Pashto and Dari. However, no writer and cultural activist has bothered to take this trend to task. But when the question of “Pohandtoon and Danishgah” arises, a plethora of clamours is raised. They stage demonstrations and organize protest-sittings. They view this as a step for the disintegration of national unity.

In view of the Islamic Emirate, the persons who go to every extent to protest and rake up this controversy of “Pohantoon and Danishgah” should understand that it is one of the tactics of colonialism aimed at spreading and creating hatred, animosity and divisions among the people. It is shockingly surprising that the same persons are tight–lipped when it comes to the usage of foreign words like “institute” “academy” and “photography” which have comfortably ensconced themselves in the vocabulary of the society.

A number of men of letters and pen from both Pashto and Dari languages are ironically dancing to the tune of colonialism and working as fodder for this fire of animosity among the otherwise integrated nation.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan