To explore and understand the context of The Kite Runner, we divided our class into groups and created presentations on different aspects of the novel’s context, ranging from history to religion to conflict and even the life of the author.

My Group’s Presentation:

Below are the notes I took while watching the presentations of the other groups.

 

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan:

In late December, 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. This was severely unpopular, as Muslims held a high disregard for communists.

After the invasion,  a new government was set up. The reformed Afghanistan government had very little public support due to their close ties with the Soviet Union. They launched ruthless purges and also began extensive land and social reforms.

The Soviets withdrew their forces in 1989, causing the outbreak of a civil war within the country. The Afghan’s hated the Soviet occupiers and more than one million Afghans were killed, as well as five million being displaced.

The civil war continued until the Taliban seized power.

 

The Taliban:

An organisation founded by Mohammed Omar during the Afghan civil war in the early 1990s. They are made up of Islamic guerilla fighters who resisted the Soviet occupation. 

The Taliban are highly oppressive, and do not believe that women should get an education, nor should they make direct contact with men other than blood relatives, They also must be accompanied by a man at all times in public and wear a full burqa. Healthcare is practically impossible for women to receive. Finally, they also cannot voice their opinions or hold any political views.

Afghanistan is an Islamic State, and there is no freedom to proselyte or convert. This is punishable by death or deportation in case of foreigners. 

From 1996 – 2001, the Taliban held power over roughly three quarters of the nation, and enforced their strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. Since its fall from power, they have maintained a long running insurgency and are still in control of 14 districts of Afghanistan, or roughly 4% of the country. They still pose a huge threat to Afghan society with violent attacks.

The U.S. has been at war with the Taliban for about 18 years. It has completely destroyed infrastructure and has threatened the health, security, employment and education of the local citizens. About 26,000 Afghan citizens have lost their life during the war.

 

Khaled Hosseini – The Author

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. In 1976, his family was relocated to Paris by the Foreign Ministry. Their return to Kabul in 1980 was interrupted by the invading Soviet army.

In 2001, while practising medicine, Hosseini began to write the Kite Runner. The narrator’s life parallels Hosseini’s. 

In 2006, Khaled was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. He founded a non-profit that provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. Today he lives in Northern California with his wife and two children.