Afghan Culture and The Kite Runner
Click here for a direct link to several photo essays of Afghanistan by Time magazine.
Click here for a direct link to an Afghan photo gallery by Afghanan.Net.
Click here for Afghanistan Online, which links you further to other great photo galleries.
Finally, the University of Nebraska at Omaha has sponsored a very talented photographer named Luke Powell in their Center for Afghanistan Studies. Many scenic Afghan photos can be viewed here.
I hope you enjoy some of the pictures and information on this page. It helped me greatly to visualize some images when reading The Kite Runner - both to begin to understand the cultural settings within the novel and the cultural and religious mileau still present today.
~ Rhonda Gregory
Photo by Farhad Azad. Source: http://afghanmagazine.com/2004_06/profile/khosseini.shtml
and triumphs of their friendship. Pictured here are two photos from the film version of The Kite Runner. Author Haled Hosseini beautifully weaves the imagery of kite flying throughout the story to depict many things, including the volatility in life, friendships, and even faith. What appears to be a simple closeness in these pictures is deceptive to the theme of the book, though, for Hassan is a servant to Amir, living in the mud shanty behind Amir's mansion-sized home. Edward Hower explains in his review, "The Servant," that this friendship between Amir and Hassan is the thread that ties the book together. Another major difference between the boys is their faith heritage. Amir and his father are Pashtuns. Hassan and his father are Hazaras. Historically, the Pashtuns consider their tribe the only pure or true Afghans. Civil war within Afghanistan is often caused by opposing Islamic tribes.
The Kite Runner tells a personal story between Amir and Hassan, two boyhood friends, through the memory of Amir. While the vivid descriptions engage throughout the novel awaken all your senses and seem to bring Afghanistan culture to life, the scenes become even more intimate as you read through and relate to the tragedies
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One unifying factor amongst almost all Afghans is their Muslim religion. The country is comprised of several tribes and ethnic groups within this overarching religion. The largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns, consider themselves to be the only pure Afghans. They have long dominated the politics and economy within the country. Some Pashtun customs contradict the tenets of Islam, and yet tend to define the Afghan society, giving it the reputation for lawlessness and brutality (Roberts xiii). Male Pashtuns live by the tribal code of Pashtunwali, which includes elements of both retribution and hospitality. Pashtuns belong to the majority of Muslims known as Sunnis. The Taliban, who seized control of Kabul and the country after the long and difficult Soviet-Afghan War, fall within the Sunni Muslim group.
The minority group of Muslims are known as Shi'a or Shiite, and come mainly from the Hazara ethnic group. Hazaras are originally from Mongolian descent, and typically have Mongolian, or Chinese, facial features. Hazaras have long suffered persecution as the religious minority, most noticibly under the Taliban (Shroder III.C).
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The photographs here give us a glimpse of typical markets still in use today in Afghanistan. Merchandise is often sold under tents, or simply on sidewalks or the ground. Juxtaposed to the crude street-style markets is a major shopping center now in Kabul.
The most important cash crop of Afghanistan today is the opium poppy, grown mainly for illegal drug trade internationally ("Afghanistan" Infoplease). Afghanistan supplied 93% of the world's opium in 2007, much of which was refined into heroine ("Afghanistan" U.S. Dept. of State).
According to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, agriculture comprises over half of the countries gross domestic products and includes crops of wheat, barley, rice, cotton, fruit, nuts, wool, and mutton. This is an amazing fact since only about six percent of the total land area is currently cultivated and only 12 percent is arable.
Photo by Roozbeh Shirazi with Columbia University.
http://www.iserp.columbia.edu/news/articles/seed_grants.html
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Attempts at modernization and reform within Afghanistan have often been met with resistance by the religious majorities. Such reforms attempted include the increase of women's rights, westernization of dress for men and women, and the reduction of religious power over the country's political system ("Afghanistan" Infoplease).
Most recently, the rule of the Taliban over 90 percent of the country reverted social rules to oppressive extremes, reinforcing dress codes for men and women and often imposing strict measures or even death to violators ("Afghanistan" U.S. Dept. of State). Decades of war with the Soviets and then civil oppression by the Taliban left many streets and structures unsafe or even destroyed.
The
people of Afghanistan primarily live in rural areas and within those
small villages, the social structure revolves primarily around the
Muslim religion and the family. Males are dominant in all arenas. The
most highly populated city is the capital city of Kabul (Shroder III.A). Other
important cities include Kandahar and Herat.
Continuing Trials and Opportunities
The recognized government in Afghanistan, since the 2004 constitution, includes a democratic forum with a president who is directly elected, a presidential cabinet, a house assembly of directly elected representatives, and another house of elders, which must include a certain number of women. The Assembly may not pass any law that is contrary to Islam ("Afghanistan" Infoplease).
The new government is faced with multiple issues and some assistance from outside sources. With the help of the United Nations Mine Action Program for Afghanistan (MAPA) and donations from the United States, the government hopes to de-mine the country by 2013. Presently, Afghans are in danger of injury or death by the mines; an estimated 200,000 have been disabled as of 2007.
Over 3.5 million Afghans remained refugees as of December 2007. As the political climate struggles to stabilize, many refugees desire to return to their homeland, but find their selves displaced and poverty-stricken when the do return. Health care and disease prevention are almost non-existent except from the aid of organizations like the World Heath Organization. Tuberculosis and malaria are two major health crises. In 2004, the life expectancy of Afghan people was estimated at 42 years. Hundreds of millions of dollars in
support has been given to aid refugees and returnees, and still much
more is needed ("Afghanistan" U.S. Dept. of State).
Other problems include a lack of education for children, which has led to high illiteracy rates among males and females. Radical Islamic fundamentalists continue to challenge and attempt to thwart progress of roads and democracy. Relations with Russia are still a source of contention over the outstanding debt Afghanistan owes. Transportation is difficult, with the major highway from Kabul to Kandahar being destroyed by two-decades of war. Restoration has started, with plans for completion by 2009. There are no functioning railways, but some barge traffic down the Amu Darya River, along the border of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The bridge over this river was reopened in 2007, opening much needed trade routes ("Afghanistan" U.S. Dept. of State).
These problems can only be faced with guarded optimism and hope for peace.
The two photographs below are by Maria Amiri and copied from www.afghan-web.com. The first one beautifully displays the majestic, snow-covered mountains behind a 2007 traffic scene in Kabul. Next, we see a gathering of typical houses in Kabul seated on the base of a mountain.
