Pashtun Protection Movement, an interview with Qamar Jafri

Nonviolence Radio

Qamar Jafri visits Nonviolence Radio this week to talk with Stephanie and Michael about the Pashtun Protection Movement, committed to bringing about justice through nonviolent means, even in Pakistan, a place which has suffered from entrenched violent conflict. This interview explores not only the ways the Pashtun Protection Movement effectively uses nonviolent resistance to end oppression and injustice – for instance, marches, sit-ins, direct calls for government reform, but also highlighting the constructive aspect of nonviolence.

Building off the legacy of Bacha Khan’s interpretation of the Pashtunwali, the Pashtun Protection Movement reflects a sense of justice that does not devolve into an endless cycle of retribution and revenge but one which continues to grow through concrete practices, through “deradicalizing, countering violent extremism, through literature, through education, and through contact – like making study circles, groups, seminars, conferences, workshops.” Because of this ongoing formative education in nonviolence, youth today see that “the response to this violence should be nonviolence.”

Qamar explains some key elements of effective nonviolence in the Pashtun Protection Movement today: inclusion of women, of victims, of children’s voices; use of local knowledge recognizing and relying on the expertise of indigenous people; establishing both practical networks on the ground as well as formal legal support, and turning to modern social media to bypass distorted reports from state run media outlets. After all, it is through contact with one another that we see our common humanity and the very real possibilities we have to make peace.