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Day 12-Pashtun Men
MATTHEW 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
***Pray that P believers will love their neighbors and have wisdom to answer the suspicions of theirs when they are not seen doing the things required by Islam. Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Col 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
TRIBAL WATCH The Suleimankhel are one of the largest Ghilzi tribes with a population of around 6 million in Pakistan & Afghanistan. They are very prominent in Eastern Afghanistan, in both Paktika and Nangarhar Provinces. There are also significant populations of Suleimankhel Ghilzis in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Karachi. Paktika is one of Afghanistan’s most remote provinces, so the Suleimankhel are a simple people living a mainly pastoral lifestyle. They follow Pashtunwali (their code of ethics) very rigidly, making this one of the most conservative provinces in the country. They are known for
their ferocity as warriors & blood feuds are common. Pray that Satan’s strategies for keeping the Suleimankhel isolated from the gospel would be broken. Pray that God would cause a hunger in the hearts of these people for peace and they would turn away from violence. Pray also that their support for insurgent groups would wane. Ask God to reveal Himself to the Suleimankhel Ghilzi in dreams & visions, even in their heartlands and that they would find the true Shepherd for their souls.
More reading:
Protecting the Family Name
Abdul grew up in a small Pashtun village skirting a large city in Afghanistan. He was curious, loved learning, and enjoyed exploring new ideas and concepts. He knew from experience to keep his curiosity a secret, especially from his brothers. They valued their religious and Pashtun traditions much more than exploring new ways of understanding life and God. They often warned Abdul that it was a sin to question traditional Islamic teaching.
Abdul got the opportunity to attend university in the city. He was excited about the chance to broaden his knowledge of the world. He quickly made friends with a Christian foreigner working on campus who gave him room to ask questions. Like many Pashtun men, he felt freedom to talk with this “outsider” in ways that he could never dream of talking with his family. As the conversations turned toward God, he was struck by the fact that the Christian seemed to know God personally, as opposed to knowing merely facts about God. He wanted to know God that way, too.
After some time, Abdul was given a New Testament. Abdul was overcome with joy and excitement at the gift and quickly began reading. However, after a couple of weeks, he thought about his family and how he was taught to protect their honor at all cost. He decided to talk with his village Imam (religious teacher) about some of his questions to see if he knew God in the same way as the Christian. After revealing to the Imam that he had received a New Testament, the Imam spat and told Abdul that it was a sin to read anything but the Qur’an and to question his beliefs.
Fear and shame overcame Abdul. Pressure from his family eventually forced him to return the New Testament to his Christian friend. Abdul decided to bury his curiosity to protect his family’s name and honor.
Pashtun men carry the responsibility for upholding their family honor, reputation, and pride. They also bear the burden of providing for the family, many even forgoing education to find work at home or abroad. They need trustworthy friends who will listen well and point them to Jesus, the one who bears their burdens and gives true rest.
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