RASC News Agency: Former media presenter Najiba Faiz has publicly criticized the Pashtun community for their ethnocentric tendencies, particularly in their responses to issues in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a recent social media post, Faiz expressed disappointment over the Pashtuns’ tendency to celebrate figures from Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, such as Manzoor Pashteen and Gul-e-Man Wazir, rather than honoring their own heroes in Afghanistan. Addressing the Pashtun community, Faiz remarked, “You raised your voices for the death of Gila Man Wazir, a Pakistani poet, yet remained silent about Yama Siawash, a Tajik and your fellow Afghanistani. Gila Man Wazir was not a martyr for your homeland; he was killed over tribal disputes.”
She further questioned their priorities, asking, “If you are not ethnocentric, why did you place Gila Man Wazir’s photo alongside Amanullah Khan’s in Washington? Why didn’t you choose Yama Siawash’s picture instead?” Faiz accused the Pashtun community of paying lip service to unity while failing to demonstrate it through meaningful action. In another pointed critique, Faiz referenced comments from a Pashtun activist based in the United States, who allegedly said during a program on X: “If I had to choose between Tajiks and Persian speakers or terrorists, I would side with the terrorists because they speak Pashto.”
Faiz accused the Pashtuns of favoring outsiders, stating, “You have consistently danced to the drumbeat of tribal leaders and Pakistanis.” Her scathing remarks targeted Pashtun intellectuals and cultural activists, accusing them of failing to stand against the Taliban’s oppressive policies. She noted that the Taliban a group driven by ethnic and religious extremism have transformed Afghanistan into a haven for international terrorism, depriving half the population, particularly women, of their fundamental rights and confining them to their homes.
Faiz also highlighted the complicity of Pashtun intellectuals, who have not only remained silent about these injustices but have actively lobbied on behalf of the Taliban. She accused them of working to secure international recognition and support for the group, despite its oppressive and extremist agenda.
