Islamic Faith

In the book Kite Runner, the Islamic beliefs of the characters play an important role in their personality and life style. Throughout the course of the book, Amir and Baba’s Islamic beliefs shaped their characteristics by reflecting upon their decisions. There is a long history of the Islamic beliefs. However, there are 6 basic beliefs that all Islam’s believe in; belief in one God (Allah), belief in the prophets, belief in the holy book, belief in angels, belief in the day of judgement and belief in the decrees or the predestination of God (Allah). There are 2 major types of believers of Islam, the Pashtuns and the Hazaras. “I read that my people, the Pashtuns, had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras. It said the Hazaras had tried to rise against the Pashtuns in the nineteenth century, but the Pashtuns had “quelled them with unspeakable violence.” The book said that my people killed the Hazaras and driven them from their lands, burned their homes, and sold their woman. The book said that a part of the reason Pashtuns had oppressed the Hazaras was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi’a.” (Hosseini, page 9-10). It shows that the Pashtuns had more power and were more highly looked upon. Baba and Amir are Pashtuns while Ali and Hassan are Hazaras, hence the fact that Ali and Hassan are their slaves. The Islam history and beliefs are all in the Koran, which is like a bible to the Islams.

Baba isn’t a very faithful Islam. Instead of following the beliefs of normal Islams, he makes up his own. An example of this is when he explains to Amir about his belief of sinning. “Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?” “When you kill a man, you steal a life, you steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?” (Hosseini, page 19). Also, Baba doubts God’s existence. “If there’s a God out there, then I would hope he has more important things to attend to than my drinking scotch or eating pork.” (Hosseini, page 20). Baba’s Islamic faith doesn’t affect him much because he decides what to do. This doesn’t mean he’s a bad man. He builds orphanages and helps people around towns. “Baba always carried an extra handful of Afghani bills in his pocket just for them; I’d never seen him deny a peddler.” (Hosseini, page 259). I think this is just his act of kindness, not because of his religion. Amir’s Islamic faith affected him a little bit when he was younger. However, as he grew older, he abandoned his beliefs as he abandoned Kabul. If Amir had followed his beliefs, he wouldn’t have treated Hassan like a brother, even a friend. He would have saw Hassan as a Hazara slave, and treated him poorly. “We were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either. I spent most of my first twelve years of my life playing with Hassan.” (Hosseini, page 27). Although Amir is very attached to Hassan even though he is a Shi’a, he only plays with him when it’s only the two of them alone. Also, Amir idolizes Baba and follows his footsteps. This pulls Amir away from his beliefs since Baba isn’t a very faithful Islam. Also, as Amir lived in America, he was drawn back from his religion. “Bowing my head to the ground, I recited half-forgotten verses from the Koran –verses the mullah had made us commit to memory in Kabul –and asked for kindness from a God I wasn’t sure existed.” (Hosseini, page 163). “I bow to the west. Then I remember I haven’t prayed for over fifteen years. I have long forgotten the words. But it doesn’t matter, I will utter those few words I still remember: La illaha il Allah, Muhammad u rasul ullah. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. I see now that Baba was wrong, there is a God, there always had been. I see Him here, in the eyes of the people in this corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him, not the white masjid with its bright diamond lights and towering minarets. There is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need, I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is. I bow to the west and kiss the ground and promise that I will do zakat, I will do namaz, I will fast during Ramadan and when Ramadan has passed I will go on fasting, I will commit to memory every last word of His holy book, and I will set on a pilgrimage to that sweltering city in the desert and bow before the Ka’hah too. I will do all of this and I will think and I will think of Him every day from this day on if He only grants me this one wish: My hands are stained with Hassan’s blood; I pray God doesn’t let them get stained with the blood of his boy too.” (Hosseini, page 363-364). This shows that Amir was not a very faithful Islam but he has converted his views now. His choice of belief had impacted him greatly and his sins have haunted him throughout his whole life.

Afghanistan's Society: Ryan Yake

The Kite Runner, teaches us, young Canadians that Afghanistan was not always what the media tells us these days, but that they had a culture, markets, and most people could live a happy and prosperous life, apart from the difference between the Pastun’s and the Hazara’s.

When Assef said, "We are the true Afghans," (Hosseini 40), he was referring to the Pashtun’s because Amir was friends with Hassan, who was his servant, but more importantly a Hazara. This shows the mentality that most of the Pashtun’s posses, excluding Amir and Baba, because they try to threat Amir and Hassan with the most love they can, and treat them as one of them. The thoughts that go through the head of Assef are what some people call, insane. This mentality he has about him being better than everyone is what ruins the society of towns, cities, provinces, and countries.

The defining factor for me was when Rahim Khan said “…They don’t let you be human,” (Hosseini 209). This let me realize how poorly the Afghans were being treated by the Taliban, but more directly the women Afghans. They basically had no rights, and were treated as scum, and as if they were way lower than the male Afghans. This brought to my attention in how a couple years, such a big place, can change in such a big way, and not for the better.

The news we hear are only a bit of the story, and by reading this novel, I have transformed from an uneducated person towards Afghan society, into an expert at the topic. I thought every part was just bombs, and poverty, but I was mistaken. There is diversity, culture, markets and much more which makes it a revolutionary country.

Poor Communication

Throughout this novel, there is a definite lack of communication between Baba and Amir, which impacts both of them. However, Amir is the one who is more negatively impacted. The most important thing in his life is to have Baba's love and approval. This causes him to miss out on opportunities in his life and never truly be happy.

During Amir's childhood, Baba's lack of affection greatly affected him. He felt empty inside. This emptiness made Amir even resent Baba at times and got to the point where Amir even wished he had a different father. Amir said, "when they left, I sat on my bed and wished Rahim Khan had been my father." (Hosseini, page 85). That is a very hateful thought for a twelve year-old boy to have. Rahim Khan had always been more supportive and proud of Amir, which is why Amir resented his father at times.

Baba's lack of affection and communication towards Amir causes him to have low self esteem. Amir feels like he will never be able to please Baba and win his love. Amir even said, "I always felt like Baba hated me a little." (Hosseini, page 19). This causes Amir to always be second guessing himself. He spent much of his life more concerned about what Baba thought, rather than doing what his heart told him to do.

This poor communication between the father and son made Amir jealous of Hassan. Baba appeared to have a better relationship with Hassan and this made Amir upset. As a result, he never wanted to be close friends with Hassan. This inner insecurity resulted in Amir trying to show off to Hassan, whether it be through knowledge (being able to read) or wealth (his family had money and Hassan's did not). Amir was even willing to watch Hassan be raped in an effort to win Baba's love.

If Baba and Amir had been able to communicate better, things may have turned out differently for Amir. He may have been closer with Hassan and he may have had many great memories with his father. Most importantly, however, Amir may have been happier throughout his entire life.

Womens Roles In The Kite Runner

I think Sanaubar “Hassan mother” was mistaked in the book for a bad women which is understand able because she is just another women in Afghanistan that is not treated with any respect just like every other women in Afghanistan. But also she did mess up by sleeping with another man who was Baba, while she had a husband and then ran away with a dancing troupe. But before she had ran away she had a child named “Hassan” that was not Ali son it was Baba’s. Sanaubar also seems to dislike Ali, her husband, and says she's seen "old donkeys better suited to be a husband then Ali". By her saying that it starts more conflict between Ali and her and that is probably one of the reasons why she ran away. Other reasons why she had runaway is because women were not allowed to do very much in Afghanistan because of the Taliban. The Taliban had taken over Kabul where Baba’s house was and where Ali and Sanaubar had lived because they would help around Baba’s house because they were servants for Baba. But something happens almost at the end of the book when Sanaubar returns to Baba's home to live with Hassan, his wife, and his kid “sohrab”. Also Rahim khan who was now the owner and keeper of the house needed Help around because after Baba and Amir had left Afghanistan to America because Hassan and Ali had left. Rahim Khan got sick so he got hassans family to help him. Another thing that had happened in the being of the book when Amir and Hassan are walking and the soldiers notice that Hassan is Sanaubar son and they start to harass him by saying the stuff that they have sexually done to her.

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