The Kite Runner - Context

Who is Khaled Hosseini?

An Afghan-born American novelist, doctor + UN goodwill ambassador.

How did Khaled Hosseini come to the United States?

He arrived as a 15-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, knowing only a few words of English.

What was Kabul like when Hosseini left Afghanistan in 1976?

A growing, thriving, cosmopolitan city.

What happened to Afghanistan during Hosseini’s time in Paris?

The Soviet Union invaded the country by the end of his father’s four-year post at the Afghan Embassy.

Where did Hosseini’s family seek asylum and settle?

California

When and where was Khaled Hosseini born?

In 1965, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

What era did Hosseini grow up in?

The pre-Soviet war era in Afghanistan.

What were Hosseini’s parents’ professions?

His mother was a Farsi and history teacher at a large high school for girls, and his father was a diplomat at the Foreign Ministry.

What inspired Khaled Hosseini to begin writing the story that became The Kite Runner?

A 1999 news story about the Taliban banning kite flying in Afghanistan.

What issues faced by women in Afghanistan inspired A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Gender-based violence, discrimination, restricted movement, and being banned from legal, social, and political life under the Taliban.

What happened to the Hazara people during the reign of Emir Abdur Rahman (1880–1901)?

- Thousands of Hazaras were killed, expelled + enslaved.

- Half the Hazara population was displaced, with many moving to neighboring Balochistan in British India and Khorasan Province in Iran.

What was the impact of the persecution of Hazaras during the late 19th century?

Pashtuns and other groups occupied parts of Hazarajat, and the Hazara people were victims of massacre by the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The situation for Hazaras remains dire even after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

What was the role of Mohammed Zahir Shah in Afghanistan from 1933 until the Soviet Invasion?

Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, ruling from 1933 to 1973. He worked on modernizing the country and established friendly relations with many nations.

What led to the overthrow of Mohammed Zahir Shah?

Zahir Shah was overthrown in a coup by his cousin and former Prime Minister, Mohammed Daoud Khan, while Zahir Shah was in Italy receiving medical treatment.

What was Zahir Shah's status after returning to Afghanistan in 2002?

After the fall of the Taliban, Zahir Shah returned to Afghanistan and was given the title "Father of the Nation," which he held until his death in 2007.

How was Afghanistan described before the Soviet invasion?

- A calm, peaceful place with tourism encouraged.

- Kabul was environmentally similar to Denver, women were not required to cover their faces, and both boys and girls were encouraged to pursue higher education.

- It was also home to UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Bamian Buddhas.

What was the Soviet-Afghanistan War (1979–1989) about?

- Soviet Union attempted to communize Afghanistan, establishing the "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan."

- The government imposed secular Marxist–Leninist laws, leading to violent repression, + thousands were imprisoned or killed.

- The US supported the Afghan Mujahideen with weapons, turning the tide against Soviet forces.

What were the outcomes of the Soviet-Afghanistan War?

- Around 13,000 Soviet troops were killed, and an estimated 1 million Afghan civilians died.

- The war also displaced 5 million Afghans, most of whom fled to Pakistan or Iraq, and destroyed much of Afghanistan's infrastructure, leaving the country one of the poorest in the world.

Who were the Taliban and what did they represent?

- A predominantly Pashtun movement that emerged in 1994.

- They sought to restore peace and impose their strict version of Sharia law in Afghanistan, which included enforcing punishments like public executions and amputations.

- Women were required to wear the burka, and girls were banned from attending school.

Why did the US go to war with Afghanistan in 2001?

- After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US accused the Taliban of protecting al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

- The US launched Operation ‘Enduring Freedom’ to remove the Taliban from power, eliminate Bin Laden, and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a terrorist haven.

What happened to the Taliban after 2001?

- The Taliban were overthrown in late 2001, with Kabul falling on October 13 and Kandahar on December 7.

- But, they regrouped + began a lengthy insurgency to regain power, continuing to wage war against the Afghan government and international forces.