PUSHTO MUSIC AS A PROTEST AGAINST TERRORISM & RELIGIOUS FANATICISM:A POST-COLONIAL & CDA APPROACH

Abstract

This study explores the question of the real Pushtun identity, Adaam-e-tashadud philosophy ( non-violence) and how modern Pashto poetry challenges religious oppression and resists the stereotyping of Pushtuns as religious fanatics and misrepresented, stereotyping and profiling of Pushtuns in Pakistani drama serials and the media worldwide. Through a qualitative analysis of three selected poems—Nasihat by Jabir Marwat, Da Loyo Loyo Qudratono Rabba by Ajmal Khattak, and Mula Darsara Na Manama by Abrahim AK—the research investigates how poetic discourse becomes a form of ideological resistance. Drawing on Postcolonial Theory and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study examines the linguistic and thematic structures employed by these poets to subvert religious authoritarianism and reclaim cultural identity. The findings reveal that Pashto poetry serves not only as a cultural artifact but also as a site of political and social engagement, where language is strategically used to resist both internal systems of control and external misrepresentations. It concludes that Pushtuns by nature are very art and peace-loving race. The Pushtun way of life even before Islam was of a loving and loyal friend, a self-sacrificing host and a brave warrior, as explained in the code of “Pushtunwali”.  The study contributes to the limited academic discourse on Pashto literature and underscores the transformative potential of indigenous poetic expression in redefining identity and resisting oppression. The paper brings a cry and plea for the restoration of peace and brotherhood in the land of Pushtunkhwa which is bleeding for the last several decades.