Individualism can develop only among progressive communities...

Dear Rob,
1) It seems normal in the backward communities that people would try to hide/change their original identity. Individualism can develop only among progressive communities. Individual rights and dignity is the evidence of self awareness. In tribal communities people judge themselves in the eyes of the others not with their own criteria. Most of the Hazaras would change their identity, even their names, merely to hide their Hazara lineage. Hazara was a term of crime and insult throughout the century.
This was the same for the Pashtun. Most of literate educated Pashtuns would call themselves as Farsi-speaking or urban to escape their Pashtun lineage. Look at the colloquial titles of the Afghan ethnic communities: Hazara-e-Khar (the donkey Hazara), Hazara-e-Moshkhor (the mouse-eater Hazara), Uzbek Kala Kham (raw-minded Uzbek), Awghan-e-Ghool (the ogre/hobgoblin/Ghoul Pashtun). Or the language of Pashtu was named as the language of fart. This unfortunate phenomenon was mostly because of linguistic insults by urban Farsi-speaking population.
Hence, it was natural for most of the Pashtuns as well to hide their ethnical identity and take another guise on themselves. Ismaiel khan and Atta Noor are only the least examples.
For the Hazaras, it is only the recent years that they have taken pride on themselves. One of the famous quotes of Abdul Ali Mazari, the Hazara leader, was that he wished Hazara not to be a crime! Hazaras would call themselves as Tajiks, Pashtuns, Sayeds, Bayats and stuff like that.
2) You are right that the history of Pashtuns are mostly that of a militaristic one. That also a tribal militarism. The culture of revenge, hatred, looting, levying, taking pride of fighting, … these are the characteristics of tribal militarism. Pashtuns have been the defenders of the country, but all the rulers who have sold the country have also been Pashtun. You know that monopoly over political power in the backward countries cannot continue without depending on the foreigners. Only democratic regimes can call themselves independent. Non-democratic regimes either kill their people or surrender to the foreigners. Calling for being independent or defenders in the face of war and hatred can mostly be as a means of blackmailing. The situation in the South is overtly a blackmailing attempt. They are trying to blackmail both national and international fellows. This can be another characteristic of the tribal militarism: pay toll or I would kill you!
3) The Pashtuns of the north have double problems: 1) they have to follow all the polities of their southern brethren. 2) as they have been settled in the north by force and military might, they always feel themselves vulnerable in front of their northern neighbors who would at any time revenge and push them back to the south. The hostility of General Dostom and some prominent Tajik figures against Pashtuns are the indications of that fear. Ahmad Shah Masould did a lot of ethnic-pressuring attempt against northern Pashtuns. The literacy rate among northern is as low as among the southern. Now, Taliban have great influence among them and they have shown no resentment towards Talibanism at all.
4) We have lots of great Sunni scholars who have tried to interpret Islam and the holy text with a liberal perspective. But they have rarely succeeded to cross their message and ideas deep into the grassroots level of the communities. You can name Iqbal Lahori, Nasr Hamid Abuzaid from Agypt, Mohammad Arkon, and the likes. They are some exceptionally great Sunni scholars. But they have not managed to cross their views to the community. While, in the Shiite community the debate and discourses on very critical Islamic issues have been normal throughout the history. You have thousands of books among the Shiites who are discussing very serious religious issues. These books are easily found in all the Shiite families. Of course, there are lots of fanatical rigid-minded clerics among the Shiite as well. You cannot ignore the being of Khamenei or his folk in Iran. Just two weeks ago an Iranian Ayatullah said in the Friday prayers that the earth quake is because of the bad Hijabs of the women and the increase of adultery!! This is true. But you have tens of great clergies who denounce such superstitious claims and preach scientific findings. This is the reason that Shiites are comparatively progressive in their views and behaviors. Nonetheless, it should not lead us into stereotypical judgments at all.
Regards
Aziz Royesh