Nanawatai

Nənawā́te (Pashto: ننواتې, "sanctuary") is a tenet of the Pashtunwali code of the Pashtun people. It allows a beleaguered person to enter the house of any other person and make a request of him which cannot be refused, even at the cost of the host's own life or fortune.[1][failed verification][2]: 24 [failed verification] A similar code of conduct is used by the neighbouring Baluch people.[3]

Traditionally it is used to refer to a request for sanctuary, whereby the host must be willing to fight or die for the sake of anyone who comes knocking at his door seeking refuge,[4] even if it is a sworn enemy.[5]

As the burden of sanctuary and protection extends even to fighting against government troops on behalf of the person seeking refuge,[6] some have suggested that Mullah Omar's refusal to turn in Osama bin Laden was due only to his having availed himself of Nənawā́te.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ Building a Post-War Justice System in Afghanistan Customary Law and Jirga Retrieved on May 23, 2007
  2. ^ Fletcher, Arnold (1965). Afghanistan, highway of conquest. Internet Archive. Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University Press.
  3. ^ Durkin, Major J. Keller (2009-01-01). DTIC ADA505494: Authority, Legitimacy, and the Qawm: Historical Perspectives on Emergent Governance in Afghanistan.
  4. ^ "Pan Hospitality". Pan. 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  5. ^ McGirk, Tim (December 2004). "On bin Laden's Trail". National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nanny was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ CNN, Afghan Taliban spokesman: We will win the war, May 5, 2009
  8. ^ Jihad Unspun, Live From Taliban Controlled Mohmand Agency, September 14, 2008
  9. ^ Chronogram magazine, Can Barack Obama save Afghanistan?, January 29. 2009