Afghan Culture In The Kite Runner

Afghan Culture in The Kite Runner The Kite Runner is a popular novel that grew in fame and popularity very quickly. It gives us a look into what life is like growing up when “cruelty and friendship meet head-on in this coming-of-age story set in the last peaceful days of Afghanistan” (Hosseini). The novel is told by Amir, the protagonist of the story. He is from the Pashtun and Sunni Muslim group. The Pashtun Muslims are the dominate ethnic group of the area, which plays a role in the relationship between another major character, Hassan, in the novel. Hassan is a Hazara Muslim, who are looked down upon as a minority. In The Kite Runner, the invasion of the Soviet Union also affects Amirs life and relationships. The Soviet Union is a communist

In The Kite Runner, Hosseini describes the life of a Pashtun Amir and a Hazara Hassan. Pashtuns make up the biggest ethnic group within Afghanistan. They have been seen as the ruling group and dominant many of the other minorities. Hazara’s comprise just nine percent of Afghanistan’s population. They sometimes have difficulty in acquiring suitable professions due to their ethnicity and choice of religion. The Hazaras were the first ethnic group to revolt against the expansion of leader, Pashtun Rahman. This rebellion caused the persecution of many Hazaras, by the hands of Pashtun tribes and is the reason behind a lot of the tension between the two. Because Pashtuns are part of the richer upper class, they feel a self-righteousness over Hazara groups and hold many positions in Afghan government. They have better opportunities when it comes to getting an education and job (Chiovenda). Hazara minorities have faced discrimination and violence from many of the other ethnic groups, especially those of Pashtun communities. In Afghan culture, the class system plays a major role in how people are looked at and

During this time, Mohammed Zahir Shah was the king who also happened to be his cousin and brother-in-law. In 1973, Daoud Khan staged a coup against the king. Instead of taking the title of king’s successor, he stated that he was now the president and Afghanistan was officially a republic; he began changing many things like liberation for women and suppressing Islamic fundamentalism. On April 28th, 1978 Mohammed Daoud Khan was overthrown and assassinated during a coup of procommunist rebels. It was the start of political upheaval within Afghanistan which would later lead to Soviet troops entering shortly after. Khan didn’t have good relations with the Soviet Union, especially after he led a campaign against communists in Afghanistan. On December 24th 1979, the Soviet Union invaded its capital Kabul. As they tried to expand their rule, they came into contact with resistance fighters who put up a strong resistance. Many lives were lost, including those of innocent civilians. The invasion had long-term effects leading to the growing of terrorism within the country (Hilali). In Afghan, the overthrows and invasions that have taken place throughout history have had a major impact on the culture and way of