Taliban threaten Kalash in Chitral

Ancient tribe’s existence threatened by extremism, tribal youths converting to other religions
* Kalash festivities marred by threats of Taliban attacks from neighbouring Dir

LAHORE: Although the NWFP today is largely under threat from the Taliban and extremism, there are still clusters in the insurgency-hit province where life goes on as normal.

The most prominent of these is the Kalash region in Chitral, a report by BBC Urdu service said on Thursday.

The region is named after the Kalash tribe, which has lived in the area since time immemorial.

The tribe, said to be descendants of Alexander the Great's soldiers, still practices an ancient pagan culture unlike any other in this part of the world, the report said.

The Kalash people have been a people apart since recorded times.

They had become a major tourist attraction in recent times, but in doing so, attracted the ire of Islamic clerics, who started calling the Kalash region ‘Kafiristan’, or the "land of the unbelievers".

Dangers: The terms were largely restricted to slogans and sermons - until the Taliban arrived on the scene.

But that is not the only challenge the community faces - many educated Kalash youth have chosen to convert to Islam.

Subsequently, they have abandoned the community to seek a life in cities and more upscale communities.

All these factors threaten this unique heritage.

“Hundreds of years ago about 3,000 Kalash people made their home in the Birir, Rumbur and Bumburet valleys among the Hindu Kush mountains of Chitral. Generally speaking, the people of Chitral, Muslim or Kalash, are liberal when it comes to religion,” the report said. But the Taliban threat has now jeopardised their existence, with the neighbouring Dir district under the Taliban control.

"Chitral is one of the most peaceful regions in Pakistan," said Abdul Wali, a local lawyer. "All communities here have brotherly relations with each other. People here believe culture has precedence over religion."

The Kalash people celebrate the four seasons with an equal number of festivals, with the summer festival seeing the highest attendance by people from across the country.

Foreigners were few this year, but present nonetheless. Among them was Glasgow resident Patricia Fort with her son Leon. "This is the second time I have come here...this time to show it to my son," she said. Her son Leon is equally enthusiastic.

"I got to know about this place from my mother, heard all the stories about the Kalash, saw pictures and knew I had to come," he said.

Taliban threat: But the richness of the festival is now shadowed, as security forces are deployed to fend off the Taliban. “Checkpoints litter the road leading to the festival venue and local hospitals have been put on red alert,” the report said. "There is a rumour going around that the Taliban will attack the festival," Dr Jahangir Khan, medical officer at a local hospital said.

"There is the situation in Dir, and we are just across the border from Afghanistan. We have been put on 24-hour emergency standby for as long as the festival lasts." However, the Kalash people continued with the festivities despite the dangers.

“In a region wracked by conflict, their simple ways seem like echoes from another time. Beautiful women adorned in black robes splattered with bright colours and with necklaces of sparkling stones dance to ancient tunes. Music is played by the men who occasionally break out in song,” the report said.

"They are singing of their happiness to God," says Munir, a Kalash man.--Daily Times