General Education
Reading Guide Notes for The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Developed by Dr. Michael McKale
Professor of Religious Studies, Saint Francis University
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE KITE RUNNER: AFGHANISTAN,
ISLAM, AND THE TALIBAN
The story of The Kite Runner unfolds in the historical context of two young boys
and their families caught up in the world shaking events which took place in
Afghanistan between 1975 and 2005. Afghanistan stands at the crossroads of
contemporary history. All the great empires of history have tried to control it:
Russia, China, India, Iran-Persia, Great Britain & the Soviet Union. Due to its
geographical location between the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the vast Indian
subcontinent it has always been at the center of the "Great Game" for political
control of the Asian heartland. Afghanistan along with the countries that surround
it especially Pakistan, Iran, and the new Central Asian republics born out of the
old Soviet Union have all been at the heart of the "Islamic Resurgence" of the
last thirty years. At the same time Afghanistan is very important as an access
route to the oil and natural gas fields of Central Asia. It is also the primary source
of the world's heroin supply. The enormous destruction from 30 years of wars
has created a devastated economy and country.
Afghanistan has a history of extraordinarily diverse ethnic, linguistic, tribal, and
religious cleavages that have frequently divided the country. Afghanistan's
population is composed of four major ethnic groups; the Pushtuns, Tajiks,
Hazaras, and Uzbeks as well as numerous smaller ethnic groupings. The historic
tribal cultures and social structures of the country, the religious conflicts between
the ancient religious beliefs rooted in Sufi Islam and the recent emergence of
Taliban style Islamic Fundamentalism, and the long and devastating conflicts that
began with the invasion by the Soviet Union in 1979 and continues today in the
conflicts between U.N. & U.S. coalition forces and the remnants of the Taliban
and Al-Queda forces provide both the backdrop to The Kite Runner and the best
context for understanding Afghanistan and its people.
The wars of the last thirty years including the invasion of the Soviet Union and
the Mujahedeen Resistance which lasted from 1979-1989, the Civil War between
the 7 mujahedeen groups and regional warlords from 1989-1994, the war
between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban which took place between 19942001, and finally the conflict between the U.S.-Northern Alliance and the TalibanAl-Queda forces from 2001 to the current time have absolutely devastated
Afghanistan. There are over 2.2 million refugees in Pakistan, 2.4 million in Iran,
another 1 million living in camps inside Afghanistan, and over a million Afghan
refugees in exile around the world. Most Afghans of any means have fled to other
parts of the world much like the family of Baba and Amir in The Kite Runner.
Islam has unified the people of Afghanistan since the 8th century and was a key
factor in the creation of the nation and in the resistance movements to the
Russian, British, Soviet and other invaders in history. The form of Islam practiced
in Afghanistan was rooted in Sufi Islam. Afghanistan was a "developed" country
by the late 1960's with education, a modest standard of living, and a civil peace.
The Sunni and Shia form of Islam practiced in Afghanistan was tolerant of other
Muslim sects, other religions, and modern lifestyles. Afghan mullahs never
believed Islam could be forced on people. Sectarian conflicts over the "True
Islam" or pushing one interpretation of Islam was never promoted. Many diverse
forms of Islam were welcomed in Afghanistan. In fact, 80 percent of Muslims in
Afghanistan belong to the Sunni Hanafi sect, the most liberal of the four Sunni
schools of Islamic thought and law. The Sufi movement in Islam, which speaks to
the heart of Islam, promoted education, religious and cultural tolerance, and
respect for the diversity of peoples.
All of this changed with the Soviet invasion, the arrival of the Afghan-Arabs led by
Osama bin Laden in the 1980's, and the rise of the Taliban in the 1990's. The
Taliban implemented an extreme interpretation of the Sharia or Islamic law that
appalled most Afghans and the Muslim world. Before the Taliban, Islamic
extremism never flourished in Afghanistan and there was little precedent in
Afghanistan's Islam for a Taliban like movement. Rural Pashtun tribal culture was
very conservative but also hospitable and generous of spirit. In some rural areas,
Pashtunwali, a conservative social code, is still part of the culture. Most Taliban
punishments were drawn largely from the traditional Pashtunwali tribal code &
not the Islamic Sharia. The story of The Kite Runner unfolds in this historical
context.
HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1747
an
Ahmad Shah Abdali, a Pushtun commander, declares his territory
independent country
1784
The modern state of Afghanistan established
1839-42
First Anglo-Afghan War results in British control but a British army
of 16,500 men is annihilated outside Kabul, one of the
greatest defeats of British arms in history
1878-80
1893
2nd Anglo-Afghan War: The British invade Afghanistan
The Durand Line, dividing ethnic Pushtuns is established by the
the British as the Afghan-Indian boundary.
1907
British & Russians establish boundaries of modern Afghanistan
1918
The 3rd Anglo-Afghan war leads to Afghanistan's Independence
1933-63
Constitutional Monarchy established under Zahir Shah
1947
Britain withdraws from Indian subcontinent, Pakistan established as
an Islamic Republic, Britain ignores Pushtun demands for an independent
Pushtunistan
1963-73
Democratic Experiment under Zahir Shah ends on July 17, 73
Key Historical Events during The Kite Runner
1973-1979
First Republic of Afghanistan established by Daoud Shah,
cousin of Zahir
1978-1992
1979
1980-1991
Afghanistan Communist Party rules country
Invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union in December
U.S. supplies millions of dollars to the Afghan resistance to the
Soviets
1987-1989
Withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan
1987-1992
Internal Civil War between various mujahadeen groups
1992-1996
The Islamic State of Afghanistan is established by the
Northern Alliance.
1994
1996-2000
Taliban emerges and begins take-over of Afghanistan
Establishment of the Taliban led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
1998
Eight Iranian diplomats are murdered and over 5,000. 5,000
Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif are massacred by the Taliban
Sept. 9, 2001 The "Lion of Panjsher," Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the
Northern Alliance, the main opposition to the Taliban, is
murdered by two assassins posing as journalists and acting on
the orders of Osama bin Laden
October -
The Northern Alliance with aid from an international coalition
November
power
led by the U.S. military removes Taliban & Al Queda from
October 2004
Hamid Karzai elected President of Afghanistan
ADDITIONAL READING
Girardet, Edward. "Eyewitness Afghanistan." National Geographic. December
2001.
Goodson, Larry P. Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics,
and the Rise of the Taliban. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001.
Griffin, Michael. Reaping the Whirlwind: The Taliban Movement in Afghanistan.
London: Pluto Press, 2001.
Hosseini, Khaled. Dreaming in Titanic City. New York: Riverhead Books, 2006.
"Humanity Denied: Systematic Violations of Women's Rights." In Afghanistan
Human Rights Watch, Volume 13, No. 5, October 2001.
Jacquard, Roland. In the Name of Osama Bin Laden: Global Terrorism and the
Bin Laden Brotherhood. Chapter Four: "Among the Taliban." Durham: Duke
University Press, 2002.
Marsden, Peter. The Taliban: War, Religion and the New Order in Afghanistan.
London: Zed Books, LTD, 2001.
Nojumi, Neamatollah. The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization,
Civil War, and the Future of the Region. New York: Palgrave, 2002.
Pazira, Nelofer. A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan. New York:
Free Press, 2005.
Rashid, Ahmed. Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.