THE KITE RUNNER Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 1

THE KITE RUNNER
TALIBAN
The Taliban immediately put into effect a very strict version
of Sharia (Islamic) law. Any activities seen as “frivolous” or
influenced by the West were immediately outlawed. The
Taliban believed the only way to help Afghanistan was to
weed out anything that took the focus from adherence to
Islam. Examples of their restrictions included outlawing
television, music, the internet and even kite flying
because these activities did not fit in with their hard-line
We all celebrated in 1996 when the
Taliban rolled in and put an end to the
daily fi ghting. – Rahim Khan, The Kite
Runner
interpretation of Islamic law. A man without a beard could be beaten and a woman wearing
fingernail polish could have her fingertips chopped off as punishment. Prior to the Taliban
taking control of Afghanistan, women had been allowed to receive an education and, while
modest dress was important, extreme strictures were not in place. Following the takeover of
the Taliban, women’s education was outlawed and the all-covering burqa became a mandatory
part of life for women when they left their homes (which was
only legal if they were supervised by a male relative). Beatings,
executions, stonings and ethnic and religious-based cleansing
were all instituted by the Taliban in order to keep Afghanistan
on a “proper religious track.” As the Taliban is comprised
predominantly of ethnic Pashtun who are mostly Sunni Muslims,
they particularly focused on the Shiite Hazara population for
persecution. The most famous of these systematic massacres
took place at Mazar-e-Sharif in 1998, but there were many other
instances where the Taliban ordered the execution of ethnic
Hazaras en masse.
Afghan women in burqas
being provided a safe haven in their country. U.S.-
led coalition forces drove out the Taliban and
killed many members. However, Taliban members
are known for being fierce fighters, very willing
to go to their deaths as “martyrs” for their cause.
The Taliban forces have continued to regroup and
threaten, harass and murder their fellow Afghans.
Using remote lands in Pakistan as a base, the Taliban
have continued to work to destabilize the elected
government in Afghanistan. Suicide bombings have
become much more frequent in both Afghanistan
and in neighboring Pakistan.
The Taliban was ousted from power following the September
11th attacks in 2001. The Taliban refused to cooperate with
western countries to capture Osama bin Laden when he was
Press conference with the Taliban
following the September 11th attacks
Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 14