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
As Hosseini wrote, “You! The Hazara! Look at me when I am talking to you!” (Page 7). The person speaking was a Pashtun and they were yelling to Hassan because he was not responding to him when he was trying to talk to him, so they began to be rude to Hassan, but Amir did not do anything because he cannot go against his own ethnic group but he also did not say anything because Hassan was like his brother so he stayed quiet and just said to keep walking. The Pashtuns compare the Hazara’s to Chinese dolls because they have the flat face with slanted eyes and the flat nose. In addition the Pashtuns don’t have the Hazara’s in the official Afghani school books because they are above
By 1996, popular support for the Taliban among Afghanistan’s Southern Pashtun Ethnic group tremendously helped the Taliban come to power. (Encyclopedia Britannica) The Pashtuns represent an Eastern Iranian Ethno-linguistic group with its headquarters mainly in Eastern and Southern Afghanistan. This chain also practices the Islamic code of conduct in their culture (which explains why they had such support for the Taliban.) The Pashtuns gained attention from the world from their support to the Taliban,the group is similar to the Taliban in many ways, they also exclude women from joining, even without women the Ethnic group has a huge following with a total population of over forty million, as stated in New World Encyclopedia. Consequently, the Support from the Southern Pashtun Ethnic Group and other influences the Taliban was able to seize the Capital of Afghanistan and gain control of all of the country from 1996 to
Throughout history, the Hazaras have always been persecuted by the Pashtuns. One of the main reasons why they’re discriminated against is because most Hazaras are Shia Muslims, while most Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims. Due to a disagreement in the past, the two groups have always argued against each other. Amir is a Pashtun, and he grows up around other people who believe that the Hazaras are an inferior race. Even though, Baba tries to educate Amir to not believe in racism, Amir has a very tiny bit of ingrained racism with him.
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.
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
...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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Do people ever know enough about themselves to determine the direction of their career journey? Various strategies have been developed to provide guidance toward this end; however, as the realities of work change due to such factors as global competition and new technologies, it is necessary to develop new awareness of self in relation to work. This Digest examines various processes by which learners of all ages, elementary to adult, can expand their self-knowledge--their interests and the importance of those interests to their personal satisfaction, their strength and weaknesses in relation to their interests, and the ways in which their interests and abilities are applicable in the changing social, economic, and work environments.
Samad, Omar. "Ethnic Politics: A dangerous Fault Line." Afghan Analytica (2013): n.pag. Web. 18 Nov 2013.