E. Nigma: Thanks for the thoughts. Oddly enough, we found that very often the primary identity was the locality rather than the tribe. People were very often identified by what valley they were from and then by their tribe. One of the benefits of the elder system was that there was a local form of justice. It serves the same purpose as a mayor’s court here in a small local municipality.

Afghans, while often ill-educated, are often quick learners. If what you show them works, they will incorporate it… but it will have a distinctly Afghan flavor. If what you teach them is more clumsy or does not work well, they will revert.

The local Jirga was very effective at local justice; but local justice was often primitive by our standards. It was very effective for a lot of the situations that they encountered, though. I could go into greater detail, but it very often kept people out of the formal justice system, avoiding incarcerations for offenses that we would view as not worth incarceration.

Yes, the Afghans said, “Inshallah,” and it meant the same thing. They sometimes used it as an excuse, but not as often as the Iraqis, from what little I know about them. It was also not too difficult to disabuse an Afghan of its excusatory powers in a specific instance. It was often said as part of a wish, like we would say, “God willing.” As in, “See you next week, God willing.”

This was considered extremely polite. It was also well-received if they explained what they were going to do and you wished them success with an, “Inshallah” on the end of it. Expressions of religious respect were woven into daily life there to an extent that we are not comfortable with due to our pluralism. We are afraid to offend someone with religiosity, whereas Afghans consider it polite or even de rigueur.

The Afghans are not as fatalistic as the Iraqis, I think; but it is a harsh life, and so there is a fatalistic streak.

I hope that I addressed what you were asking about.

Perhaps I was a bit touchy with NahnCee earlier.