The identity of Gog-Magog and the "children" of Zulqarnain
It is possible that among all the Persian people and Tajiks now existing in the world -- only we Swatis are the true heirs of Cyrus as our traditions keep alive his memory. We need to know who our old enemies the Gog-Magog are. It is my contention that in their present form, they are right in front of us though many may still be unaware!
Being Swati, we also need to pinpoint the identity of Gog-Magog with regard to the story of Sikandar Zulqarnain, as that has a special relevance to us and our wellbeing not only historically but at this very moment also.
The parable of Sikandar Zulqarnain like all parables is loaded with metaphor and symbolism. It has no literal meaning and should not be construed as such. But like all parables its metaphoric meaning is profound.
Before proceeding further, we need to clarify what we are talking about. Sikandar Zulqarnain as mentioned in the Quran is believed by reputed scholars and experts to have been the metaphorical name used for Emperor Cyrus the Great of Persia, who was the founder the first Achaemenid Persian Empire and the father of the first ever Persian state -- and not Alexander of Macedonia as is most commonly mistaken by those who interpret things simply. There are several weighty arguments to justify this.
The surviving remnants of the ancient Dehgan communities of northestern Persia are now to be found in Badakhshan, Kunar, Swat and Malakand areas, etc. All of these Dehgans have a well established tradition in which they regard themselves as the symbolic children of Sikandar Zulqarnain (Cyrus) who was the father of their nation (Persia). Many such traditions among people of north Pakistan mentionong descent from "Alexander" are enthusiastically misconstrued by European scholars as referring to the Greek conqueror, whereas they are actually rooted in memories of an ancient and long lost reality when these regions were actually part of the Achaemenid Empire. With the exception of Badakhshan most of the Dehgans in eastern Afghanistan and north Pakistan are Pashto speakers. There is a clear reason for this strange fact, which we shall discuss another time.
Sikandar Zulqarnain is described in Surah Al-Kahf of the Quran as the just and civilised king who built a wall to protect his people from the monstrous Gog-Magog. In history we know that Cyrus the Great was killed by the treacherous Saka rabble. We know very well what is the identity of those Sakas in the present times...they are called the Pashun-Afghan. They are still the menace to civilisation, progress and stability as they were 2600 years ago.