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To: Cronos

>>>”Afghans history is of Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaenism, Christianity (Church of the East) before Izlam.”<<<

You’re right. Though, I have not heard of any Afghans converting to Buddhism, Manichaenism, or Hindusim in recent years. But, heard of & personally know several of them converting to Zoroastrianism, and Christianity. Of course, they can’t make it publicly known because of apostasy laws of Islam in Afghanistan & regardless of the Taliban.

Also, ethnic “Pashtun” Afghans aside, the other ethnic groups in Afghan (such as Hazaras, Tajiks & Nuristanis), similar to Tajikistan (country despite Soviet Russian occupation), have a very close ethnic, linguistic & cultural affinity with Iran.

Dari as the other official language in Afghnistan (lingua franca), widely spoken by non-Pashtuns, is very similar to Persian (farsi) spoken in Iran. I speak, read and write Persian fluently, therefore understand most Dari (dialects) spoken in Afghanistan.

Funnily, Dari dialect spoken *only* by Zoroastrians in Iran & in India is quite different to Dari spoken in Afghanistan. My mother speak Zoroastrian Dari fluently. But even Pashto spoken by Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan belong to Indo-Iranian grp of languages.

I can see Afghanistan & Tajikistan having the *potential* to revert to Zoroastrianism, or generally move away from Islam. But, don’t see that happening in Pakistan or Egypt. They are too far gone.

Actually, Pakistanis wanted to separate from India, which they did in late 1940s IIRC, because they wanted to establish an Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Culturally, the average Pakistani is way too Islamized/Arabized & has not retained much of its pre-Islamic past at all.


19 posted on 09/08/2011 1:25:32 AM PDT by odds
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To: odds

I meant their historical religions. Manichaenism is a dead religion and Buddhism doesn’t have any preachers there, ditto for Hinduism I think.


20 posted on 09/08/2011 2:11:29 AM PDT by Cronos (www.forfiter.com)
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To: odds

Islam kills the mind, India is advancing far more than Pakistan because India has more freedom of thought.


36 posted on 09/08/2011 3:33:44 PM PDT by cradle of freedom (Long live the Republic !)
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