Author: bugg.24

Text Review: The Kite Runner

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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a novel about the friendship of two Afghan boys and the lifelong implications it has because of their social and ethnic differences. The book as a whole is riveting, and I found myself engaged throughout its entirety. Taking place in Kabul, Afghanistan, the story is told from the perspective of Amir, who is the son of Baba. Baba has two servants that work at his home compound, Ali and his son Hassan who are of the ethnic minority group known as the Hazaras. Amir and Hassan form a good friendship, despite their differences, and spend lots of time playing together as well as flying kites. Their friendship takes many turns as Hassan is persecuted for being Hazara. Amir must make many tough decisions when it comes to Hassan. His peers assault Hassan and are not too kind to Amir because he is close with a Hazara. At the end of the day, Hassan is always looking out for Amir, but not always the other way around. The second half of the book sees Amir take action to try and right his wrong doing of Hassan which still haunts him. 

This book displays both injustice due to ethnicity as well as power dynamics. There are instances in the novel where Ali and Hassan, being Hazara servants, have little to no choice because the system is set up for them to be second class citizens without power. Not only do Ali and Hassan have little power and say in what they can do because of their servitude status, but because they are an ethnic minority. Throughout the story it becomes very evident that the Hazara are the Other in Afghanistan. The forms of injustice they are a victim to brings intersectionality into the picture. Because Ali and Hassan are servants and Hazaras, the things they experience are a result of those two aspects combined.

Overall, The Kite Runner is a phenomenal story that takes social injustice into account while telling the story of two friends and the lengths they go to for each other. I thought that the author did an excellent job giving the reader a feel for the differences between Hassan and Amir while still maintaining the fact that they were childhood friends. Although the book is roughly 375 pages long, I did feel like Hosseini could have dove deeper into the systemic injustice that was occurring outside of just Ali and Hassan’s experiences. There is also a film of this story which is also a good watch. Ultimately, this novel is a great read for anyone who is interested in a friendship story that does well at highlighting discrimination that occurs in Afghanistan.

Diary of Systemic Injustice Showcase

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One of my previous entries in my diary of systemic injustices was about the Rohingya population in Myanmar. Below is a summary of some current events that have been going on there, as well as a very brief history of the Rohingya people being persecuted.

In Myanmar, an ethnic group known as the Rohingya have been systemically discriminate against for decades. The Rohingya are a group of Muslims, living in a mainly Buddhist country, with their own language and culture. Recently many Rohingya have been fleeing the country as a result of being attacked by the military and other mobs (BBC). There is a history of the Rohingya being persecuted. Dating back to when Myanmar was known as the country Burma, the Rohingya have been seen as the go-to target for persecution. During the 1960’s, the Rohingya were used as a common target to unite people under a strong nationalist government. The then Burmese government even implemented Operation Clean and Beautiful Nation, which essentially just denounced the Rohingya as recognized citizens, and caused over 200,000 Rohingya to be displaced. For more info on the timeline of these events, you can click this link here  or down below the text. Since Myanmar just saw a coup take place by the military, it is likely that the Rohingya will face even more trouble. Just this week, a refugee camp for lots of Rohingya burned down (NPR). This only worsens the current situation for these people. Apparently new barbed wire caused many of the refugees to become trapped when trying to evacuate. Even though the camp is supposed to be a safer place for the Rohingya, they still cannot find a place to live peacefully without having to worry about persecution or unstable living conditions. The image below shows many children rummaging through debris from the fire. I think it does well to show the catastrophe these people have lived through, and how they are all sticking together through it. Currently, Myanmar does not even count the Rohingya as people in their census. This lack of acknowledgment brings to mind the concept of the “Other” in that Myanmar views the Rohingya as the “Other”, a group which is far inferior in their mind and is of no importance. Myanmar has committed genocide before, yet it has received little attention. With the military now in power, the Rohingya have little time before they are met with violence again. Myanmar is set up for there to be no place for the Rohingya. They cannot vote for change as they are not citizens. When they protest for change, they are met with violence, rape and death. Time has shown how the system favors the Buddhists, and I do not see any way for the Rohingya to survive unless they flee to Bangladesh, or outside forces step in. Having said that, it should be pretty clear that there is systemic injustice present when the only way to avoid persecution is to flee the country. 

UKHIA, COX’S BAZAR, BANGLADESH –  (Photo by Yousuf Tushar/LightRocket via Getty Images)

 

Video link: https://youtu.be/04axDDRVy_o

References:

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/23/980393127/hundreds-missing-in-aftermath-of-fire-at-rohingya-refugee-camp 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41566561

Religion In Iran During and After the Shah’s Rule (Context Presentation for Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi)

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Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, known as the Shah of Iran, ruled Iran from 1941 to 1979. As those who came before him, he continued a policy of westernization by moving away from traditional Islamic laws, and implementing policies which could be seen as going against Islam. Not all of Iran’s laws were based on religion. Women were discouraged from wearing a Hijab, and alcohol could be served (Hsu). Although Iran was still an Islamic country, there was definite secularism. The Shah’s regime believed they were rapidly moving towards a society full of human rights, rather than one focused on religion (Cottam 121). Not all Iranians were pleased to see the country become more similar to countries of the West such as the US.

 

The Shah’s rule was not an all that religious rule, but a one of power. Religion was not what life revolved around while he was in power. Come 1979, many opposed the way the Shah ruled and rioted. This became the Iranian Revolution, which overthrew the Shah’s regime. The movement was led by Ruhollah Khomeini, the grand ayatollah who was the leader of the Shiite Muslims in Iran. With a new leader came a new revived sense of religion. Khomeini made Iran an Islamic Republic (Hsu). The vast majority of western progressive policies that the Shah had created were now seen as contradictory with the Islam religion. No more alcohol or western music, and women were once again required to wear a Hijab (Hsu). These changes, although they may seem social, were really ones of religion. After the revolution, religion was the centerpiece of the country. Iran is technically called the Islamic Republic of Iran. Even the preamble of Iran’s constitution after the revolution begins with “The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran sets forth the cultural, social, political, and economic institutions of Iranian society on the basis of Islamic principles and norms” (Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran). 

 

Clearly Iran’s main religion became more than just a part of society. Many laws are now based around Sharia, the Islamic law, and any new laws proposed must be compared to Sharia in order to see if it is in accordance (Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran). Islam, after the revolution, became the overarching element of life, which set the basis for life in Iran even up to this day.

 

Works cited 

 

Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Preamble

Cottam, Richard W. “The Human Rights Movement In Iran In Historical Context.” Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, vol. 12, no. 1, 1980, pp. 121–136.

Hsu, Sabrina. “Life in Iran Before and After the Revolution: How Religion Redefined a Nation.” StMU History Media, 9 Dec. 2018, stmuhistorymedia.org/life-in-iran-before-and-after-the-revolution/.

Karimi, Nasser, and Jon Gambrell. “Torture Still Scars Iranians 40 Years after Revolution.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 6 Feb. 2019, apnews.com/article/072580b5f24b4f8ea2402221d530257e.