American Pie: A Return To The Khyber Pass
John Merchant says he feels a kinship with the Afghani people, "perhaps because I share with them a feudal heritage, having grown up in England.
He respects the way they have set about restoring their society and infrastructure. "It seemed like only weeks after the Taliban were driven out that the schools were open, and for the first time in years, girls were attending. Gone were the oppressive burkas, and out came the make-up. Farmers were planting crops, and the markets were thriving in short order.''
For more of John's thoughtful words please click on American Pie in the menu on this page.
Though I was opposed to the American invasion of Afghanistan, the glare of media coverage that went with it kindled a fascination that has remained with me. My first and very distant experience of that country was several years ago, when, on a flight to India, we passed by the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. On a crystal clear, cloudless day, with the sun casting deep shadows from the mountains, I was captivated by the stark beauty of a scene where the only evidence of humankind was the caravan trails. At the time I wondered what it must be like to live there.
Since then, I have learned a great deal more about the country and its people from the war coverage and collateral articles. Many times, what I read transported me back to my childhood, when my history lessons often referred to attempts by the British to bring the “Tribal Territories” of Waziristan under their control in the 1800’s. Through those lessons and the boyhood fiction that I read, I felt that the Khyber Pass was almost part of my backyard, but the real history of that region is wildly more exciting than anything I was ever taught or read.
Today’s Pashtuns, or Pathans as I knew them as a boy, are the product of several centuries of turbulent history. Their martial prowess goes back to Alexander the Great who passed through their country in the third century BC. Pashtuns were also one of the few peoples who were able to impede British imperialism during the 19th century. As part of the Mujahideen, Pashtuns played a decisive role in the Soviet war in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.
The passage of many peoples through the country over millennia has done much to enrich this heritage of conflict. The Aryans, an Indo-European people who populated India, Iran, and what is now Pakistan, spread through Afghanistan at the dawn of history.
My childhood grounding, pallid though it was, underlies a kinship I feel with the Afghanis, perhaps because I share with them a feudal heritage, having grown up in England. The tribal allegiances and the ruling war lords are reminiscent of medieval England. Pacts are made and broken feuds are spawned and settled without reference to any national power. These are a proud people, toughened by the very nature of the land they so passionately cherish.
In the early part of this latest war, I was thrilled by pictures of men on horseback, dressed in biblical era clothing, wielding their weapon of choice, and that of their recent Russian enemies, the Kalashnikov. These are the people who, in 1842, slaughtered 16,000 British and Indian troops in the gorges between Kabul and Gandomak, and more recently brought the might of the USSR to its knees. In one of its rare moments of wisdom, the US military decided to enlist their help in ousting the Taliban. Better to have them with you than against you.
Another side of the Afghanis that has gained my respect is the way they have set about restoring their society and infrastructure. It seemed like only weeks after the Taliban were driven out that the schools were open, and for the first time in years, girls were attending. Gone were the oppressive burkas, and out came the make-up. Farmers were planting crops, and the markets were thriving in short order. What I also saw through the eyes of journalists and TV reports, was a country of great beauty, greener and more varied than the Martian landscape I had seen from the air.
Of course it’s regrettable that one of their cash crops is the poppy, but I’m sure they would be happy to accept an alternative if it provided a comparable livelihood. In contrast to that unfortunate source of income are the orchards. There is some belief that the apple originated in Afghanistan, and descendants of those trees are still in existence. During the Russian occupation there was considerable concern amongst botanists that the trees would be destroyed, either by warfare or neglect.
Though the Taliban are still circling like wolves outside the glow of the camp fire, I have great faith that the Afghanis will hold on to their restored life style. When the Taliban came to power, Afghani society was in disarray and exhausted after ten years of resisting the Russians. Let’s hope that this brief respite will allow them to draw breath and restore their vigor, as they have so many times through history.
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