Qawm
Encyclopedia
Qawm is an Arabic protean term used in Afghanistan
to refer to any form of solidarity. It may be based on kinship, residence or occupation. It is sometimes referred to as one’s “tribe.”
Afghans identify themselves by qawm, rather than by tribe or nationality. One's qawm identity is based on kinship, residence, and sometimes occupation.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IBS/is_1_28/ai_82351490 Although "qawm" is sometimes translated into English as "tribe," the qawm relationship may cross tribal or even ethnic boundaries. The qawm is the basic unit of social community in Afghanistan, which has added to the challenge of creating a national identity in that nation. A qawm is typically governed by jirga
or shura
(a council or assembly of elder males).
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to refer to any form of solidarity. It may be based on kinship, residence or occupation. It is sometimes referred to as one’s “tribe.”
Afghans identify themselves by qawm, rather than by tribe or nationality. One's qawm identity is based on kinship, residence, and sometimes occupation.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IBS/is_1_28/ai_82351490 Although "qawm" is sometimes translated into English as "tribe," the qawm relationship may cross tribal or even ethnic boundaries. The qawm is the basic unit of social community in Afghanistan, which has added to the challenge of creating a national identity in that nation. A qawm is typically governed by jirga
Jirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...
or shura
Shura
Shura is an Arabic word for "consultation". The Quran and Muhammad encourage Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with those who will be affected by that decision....
(a council or assembly of elder males).
See also
- Goodson, Larry. Afghanistan's Endless War. University of Washington Press, 2001. ISBN 0-295-98050-8