Afghanistan came into being in 1747 and since then has faced grim issues of ethnicity. Up to recently in the past few decades, the local violence has continued in many forms. After the Soviet invasion and later on against the War on Terrorism, Afghanistan has been subjected to various conflicts. No certain caste system exists in the country, but several conflicts of racism have occurred over the years. Primarily these conflicts have occurred between the Pashtun and Hazara tribes (Kakar, 1973, pp. 11).
Ethnic Make Up of Afghanistan
There are many different ethnicities living in Afghanistan. In the South and East of the country, Pashtuns are in majority. They are Sunni Muslim and speak Pushtu. On the other hand, Hazara are confined to the central part of the country. They are Shi'a Muslims. They speak Persian with different dialects and variations. According to some historians, they are the descendents of the Mongolian Genghis Khan. Due to their distinct features, they are easily recognized.
There are some other ethnic groups in the country as well. The Tajiks are another ethnicity who also speak Persian, but look quite different from the Hazarans. Uzbeks also exist and speak a variation of the Turkish language (Janda et. al, 2008, pp. 44).
Racism and Conflict in Afghanistan
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Afghanistan is home to different ethnicities and sub cultures. But, for over two centuries there have been many incidences of ethnic violence in the country. Most of these have occurred between the Hazara and Pashtun communities. There is no caste system in Afghanistan- and everyone is supposed to be equal in their rights, but sadly it hasn't been the case and has resulted in violence (Schofield, 2007, pp. 208).
People from different ethnic groups speak different languages and there is a continuous issue of arising conflicts. The British tried to colonize Afghanistan many years ago, but it didn't work. However, it gave rise to the ethnic conflicts that are still evident today.
Pashtun- Hazara Conflicts
According to Monsutti (2005), the Hazara people in Afghanistan have never enjoyed a good relationship with the Pashtuns. The government of Afghanistan consists of a vast majority of Pashtuns. Hence, the Hazara people have been subjected to injustice and animosity has increased between the two communities. After the communist revolution in Afghanistan more than two centuries ago, Hazara people have formed overt alliances with militant groups to counter the Pashtun dominance in the region.
The old Hazara settlers in Afghanistan did notice the political rise of the Pashtuns in the country. Their increased power did alarm the Hazarans and later they were evicted from their agricultural lands and were somehow forced to live away in the mountainous regions. Due to a troubled governmental set up, issues of autonomy were serious. And, the government as an institution enjoyed little control over the country.
The community of Pashtuns has been subjected to many researches. A widely recognized belief is that as they had political power since the beginning, hence they continue to be dominant. Other ethnic groups have realized the fact and have managed to learn a way to deal with the grim reality. The Pashtun culture; demands its members to adhere to a code of conduct and to uphold honor, bravery and self respect for others. A pashtun is known for his dominance, ability to protect his property, family and children. If a Pashtun suffers defeat in any walk of life is; he is bound to take revenge and to gain his pride back.
Such code of conduct and way of life is in direct contradiction with the Sharia ( the Islamic way of life). Unfortunately, in troubled times of conflict, the Pashtuns have not behaved according to the Sharia. Sadly, in Afghanistan people are known by their social status. So, Pashtuns being the majority and financially sound are deemed to be on top of the social status. Apart from that, they also tend to marry within their race.
On the other hand, the Hazara people comprise the Shi'a community in the country. A very small population of the Hazaras abides by the Sunni school of thought. The Hazaras are mainly based in the mountainous regions of the country. The Ismailis are based in the Hindukush Mountains and the others live in Hazarajat. Sadly, they belong to the bottom of the social status in the country and hence are often deprived of their rights and privileges.
A vast majority of Hazaras has migrated to Kabul from the rural and far flung areas of Afghanistan. But, they have managed to keep their ethnic identity intact. They have been confined to marry in their own race because a Pashtun and Hazara marriage is not a norm in the society. It is not even allowed in almost all tribes of Pashtuns. Most Hazarans work as laborers and are mostly unskilled. Majority of the low paying jobs are held by people of the Hazara community.
The Hazarans have practiced changing their sects to move up in social status. Many families have converted from being Ismaili Shias to Twelver Shia or vice versa depending on their requirement. These changes in religious beliefs have resulted in clashes and have caused sectarian violence in the country. These conversions have also been based on political alliance for security. The wars between the Sunnis from Kabul and the Hazaras from central Afghanistan have been extremely violent and have resulted in huge casualties.
Primary Reasons of Conflict
So the basic division between the Pashtuns and the Hazara is the due to their sects. The fact that Pashtuns are the Sunni majority and the Hazaras are Shia's seems to be the root cause of conflict. Historically, these two sects have had long history of disagreement in thoughts, beliefs and way of life.
On the other hand, they also speak different languages and their customs and rituals are quite different from each other. The Pushto speaking make up a good majority in Afghanistan, while the Hazarans are a minority. The Hazara people speak a distinct dialect of Persian which has some Turkish and Mongol influence. The ethnic contrasts are quite obvious because the Pashtuns have a fairer skin while the Hazarans are wheatish and look Asiatic. A huge majority of Hazarans resemble the Mongols and stand out due to their distinct features (Ahmed, 1980, pp.317).
The Hazaras descended from the Mongol plunderers who terrorized the central and south Asian region many centuries ago. Hence, there seems to be some historical animosity between the Mongol descended Hazarans and the Pashtuns. Afghanistan and many other countries were plundered by Mongol armies and inflicted sorrow on the local people. Hence, due to their extreme prowess militarily; they used to rule central Asia. The Hazarans are often linked with Iran due to their same religion and sect. All in all, the Pashtun -Hazara conflict is ancient and still continues today primarily due to religious and ethnic differences.
The Kite Runner
The following passage from The Kite Runner gives a clear distinction of sense of self between the two children. It also tells us why Amir never associated with Hassan as a friend; just because of his race.
“I never considered Hassan to be my friend. Although we played and flew kites together and we taught each other how to ride bicycle without hands. We were also able to build a functioning camera out of a box. We used to spend entire seasons together flying Kites. However, Afghanistan pictures of a thin boned boy, with no hair and a low set of ears. A boy who looked Chinese with a hare lipped smile. I wouldn't pay attention to that because the history is not easy to overcome, neither is the belief. At the end of the day, I was a Pashtun Sunni and he was a Hazara Shi'a and nothing in the world would change that fact” (Husseini, 2003, pp.4-5).
This passage clearly shows that racial distinctions were deeply inculcated in Amir. He spent most of his childhood with Hassan and played with him regularly. He knew that a certain distinction existed between them. He knew that Hassan was from the Hazara tribe and was a Shi'a Muslim; where he hailed from the Pakhtun tribe and was a Sunni. It clearly indicates how deep rooted the racial factor is in Afghanistan. Regardless of the time spent with each other. People do realize that they are different. No matter how strong their bonds become still the racial division exists in their minds. As Amir mentions that “even as a child he knew that Hassan was different and was nothing like him”. One might conclude that Amir realized that he was privileged and was better than Hassan primarily due to the fact that he was a Hazara.
Conclusion
It will be safe to conclude that- the Pashtuns and Hazarans are quite different from each other in their customs, religious practices and overall way of life. Pashtuns have been privileged with political power and social status. This gives them a feeling of superiority and allows them to excel and to progress in life. On the other hand, the Hazarans are forced to live in the mountainous regions and the outskirts. They hold petty jobs and make both ends meet. This class distinction has existed for a long time; and is still evident in today's progressing Afghan society.
The Pashtuns are in majority and belong to wealthy families. Children born in Pashtun tribes go to the better schools, enjoy a good lifestyle and also have the opportunity to travel abroad. The Hazarans haven't really gotten a chance to focus on education and to be able to compete with their fellow countrymen. This distinction continues to grow even in today's troubled economy, with rising inflation and lack of employment opportunities.
In The Kite Runner, it is quite evident that regardless of the time Amir and Hassan spent with each other. Even as children, Amir knew that he was the son of a Pashtun and was better than Hassan. This superiority develops in the minds of children; because they see the class difference and the differences in physical features of the two communities. If racism is dealt with in Afghanistan and the class difference is equalized; the society of Afghanistan is bound to flourish and prosper. With access to education and equal employment opportunities- Hazarans would be able to compete in every prospect of life.
Works Cited
Ahmed, A. "Pukhtun economy and society." London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. (1980). pp. 315-317.
Husseini, Khalid. “The Kite Runner”. Riverhead Books. (2003). Pp. 4-5.
Janda, K., Berry, J. The Challenge of Democracy: Government in Afghanistan. Ninth Edition. (2008). pp.. 46.
Kakar, M. H. “The pacification of the Hazaras of Afghanistan”. New York: Afghanistan Council, Asia Society. (1973). pp.11-16.
Monsutti, A. War and migration: “Social networks and economic strategies of the Hazaras of Afghanistan”. Routledge, New York. (2005). pp.4.
Schofield, V. Afghan Frontier: “At the Crossroads of Conflict:.(2007). pp. 208.
