The Hazaras of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is an Islamic country in the Middle East surrounded by neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Iran. It is home to various ethnic tribes as it was once a country that is part of the Silk Road connecting the east and the western world (Ali 23). One of such many ethnic groups is the Hazara.

I had a limited picture of the Hazara in the novel Kite Runner. I knew about it through Hosseini’s description of Hassan, being a child of a Hazara. Their facial features are relatively different from that of the Afghans, making them recognizable in one instance.

In the novel, they were depicted as a low or second class citizen in Afghanistan, manifested in the experiences of Hassan as a child. Hassan often encountered a lot of ridicules from fellow children on the basis of his ethnicity. Because of that instance, I became so interested with the Hazaras, particularly on their history and life experiences.

I never know about them until I came about with the novel The Kite Runner. This research would probe further the different aspect of the Hazara culture, religion, and other factors that seemed to contribute to their low social status in the Afghan society. This research would also look at the reason behind the discrimination and alienation committed towards the Hazaras, not just in the novel but also in the real Afghan world.

The origins of the Hazara tribe were not well organized. But it was widely accepted that their ancestry can be traced from the Mongols because of their features, physical attribute and cultural practices. The origins of their language can also be traced from the Mongolian language  (Gardner 23).

The name Hazara came from the Persian word “Hazar” which means “Thousand” The word was thought to have been used in the military unit of the Mongols but was later on used as a name for a group of people. Many historical accounts claim that the Hazaras were descendants of the armies of Genghis Khan (Poladi 31).

Another history that is most probable about the Hazaras is the presence of huge statues of the Buddha carved in the mountains located in the regions of the Hazaras. The region of Bamyan in Afghanistan is the region of the Hazaras, and they have been living there for almost 2000 years according to many researches (Nyrop and Seekins 22).

The presence of the Buddha statues in the Hazara region might indicate that they were once practitioners of Buddhism and that Bamyan region is one of the significant places where Buddhist civilization flourished.

The Hazaras comprise about one-fifth of the Population of Afghanistan. Despite their long history of settlement in the country, they are still regarded as outsiders, primarily because they are not practising and worshiping the way majority does in Afghanistan (Mousavi 13).

The hazaras are very well known to be very industrious workers, just like how Hassan was depicted in the novel The Kite Runner. However, they are more likely to end in a dirty, dangerous and demeaning work.

Their features that are more similar with the Mongols with broad cheeks, small and narrow eyes, and flat nose were believed to be the inferior physical attributes. Sadly, Hazaras believe it to be true. Their physical appearance is also one of the reasons why they are set apart from the majority, putting them to the lowest status of the society.

Despite their peaceful disposition in life, the Hazaras were subject to many persecutions throughout the history. They were victims of forced displacements and massacres because of their adherence to the Shia sect of Islam, which is against the dominant belief and religion in Afghanistan. They are treated as infidels and are often executed with impunity (Rashid 20).

The hazaras have a rich culture and diversity of practices. They are very down to earth and often been referred to as survivors, in both natural and man-made catastrophes. In the novel The Kite Runner, the hazara mother of Hassan was depicted as nomadic but is a very good performer of a traditional dance.

Hassan on the other hand is a very loyal and profound. Hassan has kept his loyalty to Amir until his death. His life has never been that happy, which implies that Hazaras always encounter difficulties in life because their culture and even their physical attribute are not well-accepted in the Afghan world.

Hassan as a child has been ridiculed not only because of his clipped lip but mainly because he is a Hazara boy. Children of his age regard him as a servant, a lower class citizen who is not entitles to any honor or dignity.

Same is true with what history say about the Hazaras. During the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the Hazaras experienced severe oppression and were even massacred. When the Taliban forces rose to power, they imposed very strict interpretation of Islam thereby justifying their atrocities committed towards women and girls and especially to Hazaras and other tribes (Rashid 22).

Hazaras during the Taliban regime were forced to choose between leaving Afghanistan or changing their faith and offer loyalty to the Taliban group. Reports from the Human Rights Watch stated that a lot of Hazaras were massacred in Yakaolang district, northwest part of Afghanistan where many Hazaras thrive.

The massacre accordingly, was committed by the Taliban as a form of collective punishments for those people who are suspected collaborators of the United Front forces who are fighting with the Talibans at that time (Rashid 25).

The novel The Kite Runner also exposed a lot of human rights violations committed against the Hazaras. When Taliban forces took over Kabul and majority of Afghanistan, Hassan and his family were forced to abandon Amir’s house. Because of Hassan’s loyalty to Amir, he refused to abandon the house leading to his execution in front of his wife and son Sohrab.

Hassan’s wife was also shot dead in front of Sohrab. Sohrab eventually became an orphan and was later enslaved by the Talibans. He was forced to wear a woman’s dress and was asked to dance like a Hazara woman. He also experienced severe child violations and abuse such as rape and harassment.

The experiences of Hassan and Sohrab are not uncommon for Hazaras during the times of war and chaos in Afghanistan. Even now, Hazaras still experience discrimination in Afghanistan.

The severity of the persecution that Hazaras experienced is not known to the world. I did not even know about the Hazaras if not because of the Kite Runner novel.

This research enabled me to found out that the Hazaras were subject to many persecutions primarily because of their inclination to the Shia Islam which is not acceptable to the majority of the people in Afghanistan. Their physical features and attributes are also treated as inferior to that of the Afghan race.

This research proved to be very enlightening as it opened my mind to the sufferings of other people that I know very little about. In this era of civilization, it is important to note that people are really diverse and it would be impossible to have a uniform belief, practice and perspectives. Since people are really diverse, each individual should learn to respect other people regardless of their status, dispositions, cultural background, appearance and religious belief.

Learning about Hazaras is a big help for me to capture the whole message of the novel The Kite Runner. It made me understand more the situation, the plot and the setting of the novel, and made me more eager to learn about Afghanistan and its current problems.

Despite the fact that the Talibans were already defeated by the United Forces, the Hazara homeland is still full of painful marks from the history. The Buddha carving in the mountain that used to oversee them was already gone, together with their bits of history. As Afghanistan struggles to rebuild itself, new opportunities are also knocking their way to the doors of young Hazaras.

But their fractured past would be difficult to put together again. The hazaras are still struggling to sustain the freedom that they enjoy at present, the freedom that they have worked had for so many years. For over 200 years, they have fall victims to alienation, discrimination and persecutions but that did not stop them to become stronger and more unified.

Because majority of the Hazaras are uneducated, many scholarships are already offered by various universities around the world to support their needs for learning and development.

With the growing improvement in Afghanistan, the Hazaras are not yet assured to live a normal life just like the majority of the people in Afghanistan. Their everyday lives are still subject to much torture, brutality and battle for equal rights.

There has been little effort done to stop the oppressions that they experience everyday of their lives. Each day, they are forced to forget their cultural identities and heritage through the beatings that they receive from people outside the comforts of their homes.

It is important to note that there are still lots of socio-political issues concerning the Hazaras. Killings are still taking place in Hazara regions. Worst, many hazaras are blamed for suicide bombs and other terrorist attacks when in fact these people are peace-loving and tolerant.

The novel The Kite Runner has exposed some of the brutalities of the Afghan world towards the Hazaras. But that doesn’t mean that people are already eager to care about these people who want nothing but only equality and respect from other people. Killings and atrocities committed towards the Hazaras will not end unless people in Afghanistan will do away with their concept of ethnic cleansing.

Government officers in Afghanistan should take action to solve this problem. However, my research about the Hazaras enabled me to learn that even the government officials release hateful statements against the Hazaras and even incite local people to kill them. But no one in the international community has dared to prevent this despite the many news and facts.

Having a chaotic life is surely not easy for the Hazaras. But I am firm in my belief that there will always be solution to their problems. If people would only recognize that diversity of cultures, then there would be no need for wars and chaos. It is vital that each individual must have the courage to learn about other people and personally learn about their lives instead of just believing to what everybody is saying.

The situation of the Hazaras poses a great challenge for international peace and welfare organizations particularly the United Nations. Hazara experience should not be kept and buried but rather be informed to people so as to incite advocacy on valuing human lives.

The most important thing I learn in this research is the fact that people need a life philosophy that values human life. It is not right to justify killings of Hazaras because of their religious beliefs. Religion exists to serve people, not the other way around. Religious interpretation varies from person to person, from culture to culture. But human life is sacred, no religion can justify killing.

The novel Kite Runner has much to offer in terms of realizing how other people suffer while others are enjoying the comfort in their homes. We are not like the Hazaras who suffer everyday of their lives, but we are the same with the hazaras in terms of our human nature. It should not be forgotten that human life is sacred and no human has the right to get it away from another human being.

Lastly, I would like to say that everywhere around the world, people encounter a lot of problems. Problems are caused by people themselves. Therefore, it is also the people who can solve these problems. May the Hazara history and life serve as a foundation for one’s belief in the sanctity of life.