Member book: Malik, Iftikhar, Pashtun Identity and Geo-politics in Southwest Asia: Pakistan and Afghanistan since 9/11
My latest book focusing on Pashtuns (Pathans) living on both sides of Pakistan-Afghanistan borders along with encompassing post-9/11 developments in this region has been published by Anthem Press. The NATO’s longest and ongoing war in Afghanistan has cost trillions of dollars besides claiming numerous lives. For Britain it is the fourth military engagement since the First Anglo-Afghan war of 1838-42. Historically, Pashtuns have defied several invaders since Alexander the Great and there are numerous hypotheses about their Aryan or Semitic origins. Most of the Taliban on both sides of the borders (the Durand Line) also come from the Pashtun tribal groups where honour code is seen in reference to zan (women), zar (possessions) and zameen (land). An extensive research in London, Oxford, United States, South and Central Asia besides archival work and interviews on the three continents have helped me weave the story on the Taliban, political Islam, EU’s role in this multi-dimensional conflict, and its impact on the region. The varying policies pursued by Britain and the United States, as gathered from reports, ambassadorial memoirs and special studies anchor this work. Besides, a review of Taliban’s own perspective on this warfare, as articulated by Mullah Zaeef and others, has been taken into account in this volume.
Table of Contents:
Introduction;
1. Gandhara Lands: Wrestling with Pashtun Identity and History;
2. Imperial Hubris: The Afghan Taliban in Ascendance;
3. Masculinities in Conflict: Western Pedagogy and the Return of the Afghan Taliban;
4. Understanding Pakistan: Geopolitical Legacies and Perspectives on Violence;
5. Locating Civic Sentiments and Movements in Pakistan: Stalemated Cycle, or a Way Forward?
6. The United States and Pakistan: Friends or Foes!
7. The European Union and Southwest Asia: Perceptions, Policies and Permutations; Conclusion: Pashtun Troubled Lands, Uncertain Southwest Asia, or a New Beginning
ISBN 9781783084944
286 Pages | 229 x 152mm / 9 x 6 | 2 maps