Absence of Scripture, Oral Faith, and Unwritten Language: An Ethnographic Study of the Kalasha’s Conversion to Islam

Abstract

The small indigenous and religious minority group, Kalasha, residing in the hilly and mountainous area of Kalash, Chitral, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The community is known for its distinct culture, beliefs, and traditions. Due to rapid conversion towards the religion of Islam, the Kalasha community is on the verge of decline. This study aims to explore the reasons behind religious change and conversion of the Kalasha minority. The unwritten structure of the Kalasha language is one of the core reasons for decline, which makes it harder for the Kalasha to preserve their knowledge, culture, traditions, and religion. Henceforth, other factors include oral transformation of the Kalasha religion through stories and practices, and without any written scripture to guide the community and protect the religion formally in written form. The Kalasha faith lacks a holy text/divine book, leaving it vulnerable to decline in comparison to the religion of Islam, which has the divine book Quran, to guide followers and provide solid support for its survival. The researcher uses a qualitative ethnographic research design, which focuses on people's lived experiences and stories. A total of 31 respondents were selected through purposive and convenience sampling techniques to reach the saturation point. For data collection interview guide is used as a tool allowing respondents to share their thoughts openly. The responses are analyzed through the use of the thematic analysis technique by identifying common themes and subthemes in the data. The study highlights the challenges of preserving Kalasha culture and religion, including the absenteeism and unavailability of the Kalasha language in written form, how oral transmission of faith weakened Kalasha religious traditions and rituals, and the absence of holy scripture are reasons for the decline of Kalasha religion and key drivers of conversion towards the religion of Islam. This study also highlights the importance of protecting and documenting the Kalasha faith and language. Additionally, the research aims to add to the understanding of religious change and cultural survival in minority communities.