THE KITE RUNNER Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 1

THE KITE RUNNER
KABUL TALIBAN
investment and aid have allowed for new possibilities, and new buildings and infrastructure
are being developed at a rapid pace. In general, the standard of living in Kabul is higher than
that of the rural regions of Afghanistan. However, the attempt to return Kabul to the state of a
modern city belies the difficult and fractious experience of POETRY
its people during the 20th century.
Many more people have access to electricity and running water than in the 1980s and 1990s,
although infrastructure is still being redeveloped after the destruction wrought by decades of
war and invasion.
-written by Laura Farrell-Wortman, dramaturgical intern
WHO ARE THE TALIBAN
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from
1996 until 2001. The name means
“students” in Pashto and many of the
original members of the Taliban studied
at Islamic schools called madrassas
in Pakistan. Afghanistan has been a
Muslim country since the seventh
century and the vast majority of the
people are followers of Islam. The
separation of church and state does
not exist in such a country. When
the Soviet-backed government fell to
Mujahideen fighters at the end of the
A member of the Taliban’s police force
beating a woman
Cold War, factional fighting between groups occurred over who would control the
country. As often happens when a country is in crisis, a call emerged from a group
that the country’s problems would be solved if they returned to the basic principles
from which the country has somehow “gone astray.” The Taliban was the group
calling for this return to fundamentalist Islam in the case of Afghanistan. The Taliban
presented themselves to the people as a reform group that would help Afghanistan’s
government regain a proper respect for Islamic law. Therefore, by the time the
Taliban took control, the people were so disillusioned from the years of fighting that
they welcomed the Taliban as heroes. The Taliban’s popularity was high amongst
Afghans who hoped their strict adherence to Islamic law would prevent much of the
corruption they had seen with previous factional leaders.
Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 13