how do the conflicts in the novel relate to the conflicts between hazaras & Pashtuns and Tibet and China?
Race
“I had read about the Hazara massacre in Mazar-i-Sharif in the papers. It had happened just happened after the Taliban took over Mazar, one of the last cities to fall. I remembered Soraya handing me the article over breakfast, her face bloodless”. This quote was said by Amir. It can relate to both the conflicts. The massacre like the one in Mazar-i-Sharif is happening in both Afghanistan and Tibet. The Hazaras are being massacred for their beliefs and their appearance. The Tibetans are practically in the same situation where they are being killed for protesting and going against the Chinese. In both situations people are being killed for their beliefs and is clearly wrong.
"We left the bodies in the streets, and if their families tried to sneak out to drag them back into their homes, we’d shoot them too. We left them in the streets for days. We left them for the dogs. Dog meat for dogs". This quote is said by Assef after he becomes a Taliban leader, talking to Amir. For starters, he’s referring the Hazara’s as “dogs”. This shows what Pashtuns think of Hazara’s. You can compare that to the way that the Chinese are treating Tibetan people. In both conflicts, the people that are being killed aren’t cared for at all by the killers, they don’t want to deal with any dead bodies. They want them to suffer.
“They called him "flat-nosed" because of Ali and Hassan's characteristic Hazara Mongoloid features. For years, that was all I knew about the Hazaras, that they were Mogul descendants, and that they looked a little like Chinese people”. This quote is Amir talking to himself. He’s saying that Hazara people are also verbally abused. Some people say that Hazara’s aren’t even Afghani because of their “Asian like” features. The Hazara people are abused physically and verbally and this quotes can show.
Religon
“The following week, after class, I showed the book to my teacher and pointed to the chapter on the Hazaras. He skimmed through a couple of pages, snickered, handed the book back. "That's the one thing Shi'a people do well," he said, picking up his papers, "passing themselves as martyrs." He wrinkled his nose when he said the word Shi'a, like it was some kind of disease.”
This quote is Amir talking to his teacher, and asking him about Hazaras. The teacher responds with racism and disgust. This discrimination still goes on in Afghanistan today, and in some cases it is taken to the extreme. Hazaras are still treated as the lesser people by Pashtuns on a racial, and religious standpoint.
“When the prayer was done, the cleric cleared his throat. "Brothers and sisters!" he called, speaking in Farsi, his voice booming through the stadium. "We are here today to carry out Shari'a. We are here today to carry out justice. We are here today because the will of Allah and the word of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are alive and well here in Afghanistan, our beloved homeland. We listen to what God says and we obey because we are nothing but humble, powerless creatures before God's greatness. And what does God say? I ask you! WHAT DOES GOD SAY? God says that every sinner must be punished in a manner befitting his sin. Those are not my words, nor the words of my brothers. Those are the words of GOD!" He pointed with his free hand to the sky. My head was pounding and the sun felt much too hot.
Every sinner must be punished in a manner befitting his sin!" the cleric repeated into the mic, lowering his voice, enunciating each word slowly, dramatically. "And what manner of punishment, brothers and sisters, befits the adulterer? How shall we punish those who dishonor the sanctity of marriage? How shall we deal with those who spit in the face of God? How shall we answer those who throw stones at the windows of God's house? WE SHALL THROW THE STONES BACK!" He shut off the microphone. A low-pitched murmur spread through the crowd.
“Next to me, Farid was shaking his head. "And they call themselves Muslims," he whispered.”
This quote shows how people, more specifically Women, are treated in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s rules are based of their strong religious beliefs, and is taken to extremes when it comes to punishment.
“[Raymond Andrews:] "Of course," he said. Cleared his throat. "Are you Muslim?"
[Amir:] "Yes."
[Raymond Andrews:] "Practicing?"
"Yes." In truth, I didn't remember the last time I had laid my forehead to the ground in prayer. Then I did remember: the day Dr. Amani gave Baba his prognosis. I had kneeled on the prayer rug, remembering only fragments of verses I had learned in school.
This quote is shows that Amir still believes himself to be muslim, despite the fact that he is not in practice. This can relate to the buddhists in Tibet, who are not in practice, but consider themselves still buddhists. The only difference being; Amir chooses not to practice, and Tibetans are banned from their religion.
“That night, we were lying on our beds, watching a talk show on TV. Two clerics with pepper gray long beards and white turbans were taking calls from the faithful all over the world. One caller from Finland, a guy named Ayub, asked if his teenaged son could go to hell for wearing his baggy pants so low the seam of his underwear showed. [...]
On the TV screen, the two mullahs were consulting each other. [...]
The mullahs decided that Ayub's son would go to hell after all for wearing his pants the way he did. They claimed it was in the Haddith.”
This quote again highlights the extreme of their religion in Afghanistan. They believe the boy should go to hell because of the way he wears his pants.
“I had read about the Hazara massacre in Mazar-i-Sharif in the papers. It had happened just happened after the Taliban took over Mazar, one of the last cities to fall. I remembered Soraya handing me the article over breakfast, her face bloodless”. This quote was said by Amir. It can relate to both the conflicts. The massacre like the one in Mazar-i-Sharif is happening in both Afghanistan and Tibet. The Hazaras are being massacred for their beliefs and their appearance. The Tibetans are practically in the same situation where they are being killed for protesting and going against the Chinese. In both situations people are being killed for their beliefs and is clearly wrong.
"We left the bodies in the streets, and if their families tried to sneak out to drag them back into their homes, we’d shoot them too. We left them in the streets for days. We left them for the dogs. Dog meat for dogs". This quote is said by Assef after he becomes a Taliban leader, talking to Amir. For starters, he’s referring the Hazara’s as “dogs”. This shows what Pashtuns think of Hazara’s. You can compare that to the way that the Chinese are treating Tibetan people. In both conflicts, the people that are being killed aren’t cared for at all by the killers, they don’t want to deal with any dead bodies. They want them to suffer.
“They called him "flat-nosed" because of Ali and Hassan's characteristic Hazara Mongoloid features. For years, that was all I knew about the Hazaras, that they were Mogul descendants, and that they looked a little like Chinese people”. This quote is Amir talking to himself. He’s saying that Hazara people are also verbally abused. Some people say that Hazara’s aren’t even Afghani because of their “Asian like” features. The Hazara people are abused physically and verbally and this quotes can show.
Religon
“The following week, after class, I showed the book to my teacher and pointed to the chapter on the Hazaras. He skimmed through a couple of pages, snickered, handed the book back. "That's the one thing Shi'a people do well," he said, picking up his papers, "passing themselves as martyrs." He wrinkled his nose when he said the word Shi'a, like it was some kind of disease.”
This quote is Amir talking to his teacher, and asking him about Hazaras. The teacher responds with racism and disgust. This discrimination still goes on in Afghanistan today, and in some cases it is taken to the extreme. Hazaras are still treated as the lesser people by Pashtuns on a racial, and religious standpoint.
“When the prayer was done, the cleric cleared his throat. "Brothers and sisters!" he called, speaking in Farsi, his voice booming through the stadium. "We are here today to carry out Shari'a. We are here today to carry out justice. We are here today because the will of Allah and the word of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are alive and well here in Afghanistan, our beloved homeland. We listen to what God says and we obey because we are nothing but humble, powerless creatures before God's greatness. And what does God say? I ask you! WHAT DOES GOD SAY? God says that every sinner must be punished in a manner befitting his sin. Those are not my words, nor the words of my brothers. Those are the words of GOD!" He pointed with his free hand to the sky. My head was pounding and the sun felt much too hot.
Every sinner must be punished in a manner befitting his sin!" the cleric repeated into the mic, lowering his voice, enunciating each word slowly, dramatically. "And what manner of punishment, brothers and sisters, befits the adulterer? How shall we punish those who dishonor the sanctity of marriage? How shall we deal with those who spit in the face of God? How shall we answer those who throw stones at the windows of God's house? WE SHALL THROW THE STONES BACK!" He shut off the microphone. A low-pitched murmur spread through the crowd.
“Next to me, Farid was shaking his head. "And they call themselves Muslims," he whispered.”
This quote shows how people, more specifically Women, are treated in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s rules are based of their strong religious beliefs, and is taken to extremes when it comes to punishment.
“[Raymond Andrews:] "Of course," he said. Cleared his throat. "Are you Muslim?"
[Amir:] "Yes."
[Raymond Andrews:] "Practicing?"
"Yes." In truth, I didn't remember the last time I had laid my forehead to the ground in prayer. Then I did remember: the day Dr. Amani gave Baba his prognosis. I had kneeled on the prayer rug, remembering only fragments of verses I had learned in school.
This quote is shows that Amir still believes himself to be muslim, despite the fact that he is not in practice. This can relate to the buddhists in Tibet, who are not in practice, but consider themselves still buddhists. The only difference being; Amir chooses not to practice, and Tibetans are banned from their religion.
“That night, we were lying on our beds, watching a talk show on TV. Two clerics with pepper gray long beards and white turbans were taking calls from the faithful all over the world. One caller from Finland, a guy named Ayub, asked if his teenaged son could go to hell for wearing his baggy pants so low the seam of his underwear showed. [...]
On the TV screen, the two mullahs were consulting each other. [...]
The mullahs decided that Ayub's son would go to hell after all for wearing his pants the way he did. They claimed it was in the Haddith.”
This quote again highlights the extreme of their religion in Afghanistan. They believe the boy should go to hell because of the way he wears his pants.