Introduction: The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini

About the Author: Khaled Hosseini Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat in the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother taught Farsi and history at a high school in Kabul. In 1976, the Foreign Ministry relocated the Hosseini family to Paris. They were ready to return to Kabul in 1980, but by then their homeland had witnessed a bloody communist coup and the invasion of the Soviet Army. The Hosseinis sought and were granted political asylum in the United States, and in September 1980 moved to San Jose, California. Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1988. The following year he entered the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, where he earned a medical degree in 1993. He completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai medical center in Los Angeles and was a practicing internist between 1996 and 2004.

About the Author continued… In March 2001, while practicing medicine, Hosseini began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner, which was published by Riverhead Books in 2003. That debut went on to launch one of the biggest literary careers of our time. Today, Khaled Hosseini is one of the most recognized and bestselling authors in the world. His books, The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and And the Mountains Echoed, have been published in over seventy countries and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

What is Kite Running? Kite running (gudipran bazi) has been a favorite pastime in Afghanistan for over 100 years Kite Running involves two people. One person is the charka gir, who holds the wooden kite spool; the other is the gudiparan baz, who controls the movement of the kite in the air. The object of the competition is to cut down the kite string of all your opponent with the string of your kite Strings are made with sharp wire or string coated with glass

Setting: Afghanistan Ethnically diverse country – reflects geographic locations as well as history Pashtu and Dari are the official languages, spoken by 85% of the people 99% of population is Muslim; 84% of Muslims are Sunni Long history of ethnic hierarchy, creating imbalances of wealth, influence, and education

Setting: Afghanistan Traditionally Pashtuns have dominated the country because they are the presumed majority of the population Many other ethnic groups have not had a strong voice Society has a firm and structured hierarchy which dominates the inter-ethnic interactions and relations

Pashtuns Majority ethnic group, constituting approximately 42% of the population Highest ethnicity on the social ladder and dominate governmental bodies Pashtu is their native language Consist mainly of Sunni Muslims

Hazaras Resides mainly in the central Afghanistan mountain region known as Hazarajat Make up approximately 9% of the population Seem to have Mongolian origins, as evidenced by physical attributes, culture, and language Most are Shi’ite Muslims On the lower end of the socioeconomic scale

Islam There are two major Islamic sects: Sunni and Shiite. The two groups are very similar, although the two sects have also had sharp political differences. The split stems from the early days of Islam and arguments over Mohammed's successors as caliph or leader. Sunni comprise about 85 percent of all Muslims. Shi’a are the second-largest sect. Iran is the only nation with an overwhelming Shiite majority.

The Taliban Very conservative Islamic fundamentalist faction. Set up what it considered to be the world's purest Islamic government. Based on its strict interpretation of Islamic law, the Taliban: Banned movies and television, photographs of people and animals, statues, stuffed toys, use of the Internet, non-religious music and musical instruments, dancing, kite-flying, playing cards and chessboards. Said women are not allowed to work outside the home, attend school and must be covered in public. Stated men must wear untrimmed beards and pray in the mosque. Religious police enforce these rules, often whipping violators.