{"id":383,"date":"2012-12-19T20:59:51","date_gmt":"2012-12-19T20:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dari\/?p=383"},"modified":"2014-06-10T20:33:21","modified_gmt":"2014-06-10T20:33:21","slug":"the-right-of-water-and-salt-in-afghan-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dari\/2012\/12\/19\/the-right-of-water-and-salt-in-afghan-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"The Right of Water and Salt in Afghan Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>

Image by Tim Sackton on Flickr.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Today, I will introduce you to a very interesting concept in Afghan culture and tradition. It could be considered as the unwritten code of conduct towards a host in Afghanistan. It is called \u201cThe right of Salt\u201d, but before I tell you what it is, I have to tell you this short story.<\/p>\n

There was a group of thieves who were very good at stealing. One day,\u00a0 the group decided to sneak into a specific man\u2019s house and steal all his jewelry, gems, and precious possessions.\u00a0 The group entered the house at night and collected all the things they wanted to take, and were about to leave the house before anybody woke up.\u00a0 At the very end, before leaving the house, the leader of the group saw a white gem-like object.\u00a0 He reached to get the object, very excited, thinking it was a very expensive gem.\u00a0 He put this object on his lips and so tasted it. The leader was very disappointed, not only because it was not a gem, but it was a block of salt.\u00a0 He then told the group to return all the things they had gathered to take with them, because he had eaten the salt of the owner of the house and therefore had to honor the salt and not harm the owner of the house in any way. The group returned the stuff and left the house without taking anything; and their story continues to be told until this day.<\/p>\n

Here is why they didn\u2019t steal anything: In Afghan culture when someone takes you to their house and feeds you, you have to always remember that favor and be thankful to the host and not harm him in any way. When one is given food and water in an Afghan\u2019s house he or she has to be thankful for that and never harm the person. This it is called \u201cright of\u00a0 water and slat\u201d because the food contains salt and water. Anyone who does not respect and remember the goodwill of those who have taken them to their house and have fed them is considered a traitors, Immoral, and extremely unethical person. That is why the leader of the group refused to be an immoral person and steal from the person whose salt he had eaten.<\/p>\n

In Afghan culture,\u00a0 you would hear people say that they won\u2019t hurt so and so because they have eaten their water and salt.\u00a0 And people who fail to honor someone\u2019s salt and still harm them are describe by phrases like : \u201cHe or she ate the salt and urinated in the salt container.\u201d<\/p>\n

Afghans are very hospitable people, and if one is invited to an Afghan\u2019s house and was given food, then it is like having signed a moral treaty of not harming him or her.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Today, I will introduce you to a very interesting concept in Afghan culture and tradition. It could be considered as the unwritten code of conduct towards a host in Afghanistan. It is called \u201cThe right of Salt\u201d, but before I tell you what it is, I have to tell you this short story. There was…<\/p>\n

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