Hazaras and Pashtuns are two major ethnolinguistic communities living in Afghanistan today. They have an extensive background of conflict, disagreement and discrimination dating back to ancient times. The Pashtuns are one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan with approximately 35 million people, and have lived for centuries between Khurasan and the Indian subcontinent. The Pashtuns are made up of about 60 tribes of varying sizes with each one occupying its own territory. Their complexion is really what makes them distinguishable between Hazaras. Unlike Hazaras, Pashtuns have more of a middle eastern complexation with less Asian features and normally have a lighter skin color. Pashtuns follow the Islamic faith and believe that they are …show more content…
These include the massacres of Afshar, Mazar-i-Sharif, Robatak Pass, Yakawlang, Khas Urozgan, Zabul, and the Dehmazang Bombings. The absolutely terrible part is these are only the examples in Afghanistan, which is only a part of what is done across the Middle East. Each of these massacres killed thousands upon thousands of people unnecessarily just because of the way someone looks and what they believe in. As stated by the Humans Rights Watch during the massacre of Mazar-i-Sharif “The Hazaras were also singled out because they are Shi'a. The Taliban are Sunni Muslims and followers of a strict conservative sect that considers the Shi'a to be infidels. During their search operations in Mazar, the Taliban ordered some residents to prove that they were not Shi'a by reciting Sunni prayers. Over a period of several weeks, Governor Niazi made inflammatory speeches against Hazaras in which he ordered them to become Sunnis, leave Afghanistan, or risk being killed.”(“The Massacre in Mazar-i-Sharif”) This shows how the soldiers were directly looking for Shi’a and how if they couldn’t say Sunni prayers they would instantly be …show more content…
The book gives facts, places and events that are real, and have actually happened in history. It also gives a very accurate representation because it gives both sides of the conflict (Pashtun and Hazara). Even though the perspective is from Amir, who is a Pashtun, he still knows Hassan so well that he can tell us what he’s feeling. This close relationship gives the reader a precise view on both sides of the conflict. Overall, the book shows us the deep ideas on how Hazaras feel powerless to defend themselves and the cruelty that some Pashtuns can have on them just based on their
Social and ethnic tensions: The Kite Runner allows us a look at Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion and then after. The peaceful Afghanistan that Amir was born into is no longer in existence; rival groups now fight amongst each other. “There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood”. Throughout The Kite Runner, there is tension on account of religious, ethnic, and economic factors. Amir, a privileged Sunni, struggles to understand his relationship with his Shi’a servant, Hassan. The boys grew up together, but “in the end, [Amir] was a Pashtun and [Hassan] was a Hazara, [Amir] was a Sunni and [Hassan] was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing”(Hosseini 25). Hassan and his father, Ali, are discriminated against because of their religious beliefs and physical features. He is bullied because some believe “Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns…the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood”(Hosseini 40). The relationship between Amir and Hassan is complicated because of the social pressures. The boys are as close as brot...
An aspect crucial to understanding The Kite Runner is the Pashtuns contemptuous treatment towards the Hazaras based upon the immense social differences between these two ethnic groups. Hassan, one of the
Pashtuns have more control over things, as Hosseini talked about in the novel, they had more control in their history. When Amir was describing his father as, “…a towering Pashtun specimen with a thick beard, a way ward crop of curly brown hair…” (Page 12), was way different compared to the way he described Ali, a Hazara. Amir did not realize that he was describing the Pashtuns as they were better than the Hazara’s, also when Amir mentioned Hassan he said how he did not call him his friend because Hassan was a Hazara and he was his servant. Although he did say they were like brothers because they grew up together but never did he say friends. The tragedy that happened in the novel when Hassan was rape, sometimes it can be seen as a betrayal because Amir did not help Hassan, Pashtun betraying a Hazara.
The Taliban or “students” is a political-religious group founded in Kandahar, Afghanistan. They controlled 90% of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The group formed after the ten year war in Afghanistan in anticipation of composing a new society based from Islamic Law. Most of the members in
At times Amir had trouble realizing that they were best friends because Hassan was a Hazara, he was of Asian descent and of the Shiite tribe, he resembles his ancestors, the Mongols. Amir is a Pashtun, of the Sunni tribe, a majority group in Afghanistan. Hassan was loyal and showed endless amounts of respect and praise to Amir. Though Hassan knew what Amir had witnessed and done to him, he covered up for him. He did not ever let Amir get into trouble with Baba, his father. Hassan was also the half brother of Amir, neither knew until Rahim Khan, a friend of Baba’s informed Amir. He and Hassan had a connection, both as friends but also as brothers.
Due to the ethnocentrism of American culture and ideas, the tribal group known as the Taliban may seem like a sociological disgrace to law-abiding citizens of the United States. The Taliban is made up of Pakistanis and Afghans who are said to be the “Holy Warriors of Allah” and rigidly adhere to a set of standards set out by the prophet Mohammed himself. They are considered one of the most radical groups that exist in the world today and are looked upon as dishonorable and even appalling by less radical Muslims. However, the reality is that the group has its own culture, sociological structure, and interactions which are simply different than those of the United States.
The main theme or message Hosseini gives the reader is honor and pride motivate and guide people’s actions. Also, the the cultural divide between Hazaras and Pashtuns creates a black and white perception where Pashtuns are full of honor and pride and Hazaras lack one or sometimes both. In the form of a conversation, irony presents itself in chapter 12 when Amir and Baba talk about General Taheri’s ethnic background and expectations “The man is a Pashtun to the root. He has nang and namoos… Honor and pride. The tenets of Pashtun men”(157). In Hassan’s greatest hour of need, Amir, a Pashtun, catastrophically fails to reveal his “nangs and namoos” by not even attempting to save Hassan from Assef. On the other hand, Hassan, a Hazara, protects and shields Amir from the torment of bullies every single time. This ironic scene furthers the reader’s knowledge about the theme and the cultural divide in Afghanistan because Amir’s honor and pride represent more of a Hazara, whereas, Hassan’s honor and pride depicts that of a
Hassan is a Hazara boy, this being an ethnic group that is looked down upon by Pashtun citizens of Kabul. “In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that.” (Hosseini 25). Throughout his childhood, Amir is put down regularly by neighborhood kids for befriending Hassan because of his ethnic background. Amir realizes that no matter what he may do, or no matter how Hassan may try to alter the situation, Hassan would always be too different for people to accept.
...h him; another part to this is because he believes Hassan is just a dirty Hazara boy. “I'd chase the car, screaming for it to stop. I'd pull Hassan out of the backseat and tell him I was sorry, so sorry, my tears mixing with rainwater. We'd hug in the downpour (Hosseini 109).” After Amir causes Hassan to leave, he laments about letting, more like making, his best friend leave him. He sees the dirty Hazara boy as his best friend at that moment. In both of these stories, the main character realizes how similar they are to the other social or religious group.
Interestingly enough, many different ethnic groups can be found in Afghanistan. Some are from other countries and others have only Afghan routes. Discoveries show that Hazaras are one of the lowest and Pashtuns one of the highest powers in Afghan society. People would automatically assume that there were only one or two different ethnic groups, which live in Afghanistan. However, there appears to be a great variety of different peoples living in Afghan society. All together, fourteen different ethnicities can be discovered in Afghanistan. I have found the following: Arab, Hindu-Sikh, Farsiwans, Wakhis, Sunni Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaqs, Baluchs, Nuristanis, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Hazaras, Tajik, and Pashtun people.
In the book, Hassan and Amir’s social statues are different. Amir is a Pashtun, which is the majority group of Kabul. Amir is well respected because of his father and he doesn’t get verbally abused due to his race. However, Hassan is a Hazara, which is the minority group in Kabul. Hazaras are looked down upon and used as servants. Hassan is verbally and physically abused due to his race. Assef is the antagonist of the book and he tortures Hassan by calling him “flat-nose” and raping him. Race is one of the main themes of separation that shows how social classes are separated due to race. Amir also looks down on Hassan for being a Hazara. In the book, Amir never shows his friendship with Hassan when in public. Hassan is ridiculed thought out the book but remains loyal and friendly to Amir.
The article is actually speaking of a small band of pseudo Muslims called the Taliban. The story of the Taliban is complicated, and just like every other story, there are two sides to it. When the members of the Taliban first revealed themselves, they gave the world the impression that they had come to rid Afghanistan of its problems. At first, even the government of today, recognized the Taliban as a legitimate Afghan force that wanted to rid corruption and disorder. However, as time passed, the true nature of the Taliban was revealed. Soon the Taliban became known as a militia that used a mixture of Kalashnikovs, false Islam, foreign money, and opium to get its way.
There are many oversimplifications and stereotypes, even if they may be from a reality-based ideology. The ethnic group of the Hazara and the Pashtun is not entirely developed. Amir was always referred to as a Pashtun but the background of the Pashtun isn't fully touched upon. The narrator only focuses on the Mongolian-like physical features of the Hazara's, and because of this diversity, they are considered a more lowly class than Pashtuns.
Afghanistan since its beginning has been a place of conflict, despair, and at times lost hope. It has been taken advantage of and lost its sense of identity, which has had a direct effect on its people, and there own sense of what justice truly is.
Samad, Omar. "Ethnic Politics: A dangerous Fault Line." Afghan Analytica (2013): n.pag. Web. 18 Nov 2013.