If You Liked <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>...BooksAfghanistan: A Short History <strong>of</strong> its People and Politics by Martin EwansCome Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager’s Story by Said Hyder Akbar & Susan BurtonA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniWest <strong>of</strong> Kabul, East <strong>of</strong> New York: An Afghan American Story by Tamim AnsaryFilmCharlie Wilson’s War (2007) dir. Mike Nichols<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> (2007) dir. Marc ForsterAfghan Star (2009) dir. Havana MarkingOn the WebAfghanCooking.net — Humaira Ghilzai’s Afghan food blogWorks CitedBazell, Jennifer et al. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> <strong>Play</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>. Phoenix: Arizona <strong>The</strong>atre Company, 2009.Print.Clark, Anthony. Personal Interview. 18 June 2010.Crider, Jonathan. “About Khaled Hosseini,” Preview: News, Notes and Next from Arizona<strong>The</strong>atre Company. 23. 1 (2009). Web.---. “An Interview with Matthew Spangler,” Preview: News, Notes and Next from Arizona<strong>The</strong>atre Company. 23. 1 (2009). Web.Emandi, Hafizullah. Culture and Customs <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press,2005. Print.Ghilzai, Humaira. Personal Interview. 14 June 2010.Hosseini, Khaled. Interview by Academy <strong>of</strong> Achievement. Academy <strong>of</strong> Achievement. 2008.Web. 6 June 2010.Huey, Aaron. “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> Maker.” Time.com. Time. 22 Feb 2007. Web. 21 June 2010.Magnus, Ralph H. and Eden Naby. Afghanistan: Mullah, Marx and Mujahid. Boulder, CO:Westview Press, 2002. Print.Phinney, Eric. “Instruments in Depth: Tabla: Drums <strong>of</strong> North India.” Bloomingdale School <strong>of</strong>Music. Bloomingdale School <strong>of</strong> Music, n.d. Web. 21 June 2010.Poldeco, Grant. “Artistry In <strong>The</strong> Air—<strong>Kite</strong> Flying Is Taken To New Heights InAfghanistan.” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. 15 Nov.2002. Web. 21 June 2010.14
GLOSSARYAfghan speech is a mosaic <strong>of</strong> many languages, the most dominant being Dari, the Afghan variant <strong>of</strong> Farsi (Persian) and Pashto, thelanguage <strong>of</strong> the Pashtun ethnic group. As a Muslim country, many Arabic terms are also used in Afghanistan.AGHAa Dari term for nobleman or commander,though it is used in daily language like“Mister.”ALLAH-U-AKBARan Arabic phrase meaning “God is great.”BACHEMa Dari term <strong>of</strong> affection meaning “mychild.”BASArabic for “enough.”<strong>Kite</strong> Fighting<strong>Kite</strong> fighting, a sport practicedin nations around the globe,is played in large tournamentswhere competitors eliminatetheir opponents to be the lastkite in the sky. To do this, kitestrings are coated with manja, amixture <strong>of</strong> broken glass, glue, andsometimes metal scraps that coatthe kite string, allowing the deftflyer to cut the strings <strong>of</strong> otherkites and send them falling to theground. <strong>Kite</strong> fighting tournamentsin Afghanistan are popularparticularly in the winter.Kids participating in <strong>Kite</strong> Fighting. Photo byHumaira GhilzaiBINI PUCHUQa derogatory term for a Hazara personmeaning “flat-nose.”BOBORESHa Dari phrase meaning “cut him,” inreference to kite flying.JANadded to the end <strong>of</strong> a name and used as aterm <strong>of</strong> endearment.KAKA-JANliterally, beloved uncle. Used as a term <strong>of</strong>respect for an older man.KALASHNIKOVRussian assault rifle, also known as AK-47KHODA HAFEZa Dari phrase for saying goodbye, literally“God keep you safe.”MUJADIHEENan Arabic term for a group <strong>of</strong> Muslimsengaged in conflict or war. During theSoviet occupation <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan, itreferred to the loose association <strong>of</strong> groupsreacting against the communist suppression<strong>of</strong> traditional Muslim customs.MULLAHa term <strong>of</strong> Persian origin for a Muslim maneducated in Islamic theology and sacredlaw.SAHIBan Arabic term meaning “friend,” but isused like the title “Sir”.SALAAMan Arabic greeting for “Hello.”Tabla<strong>The</strong> tabla is a common instrumentin South Asian music, particularly inAfghanistan, Pakistan, and NorthernIndia. It consists <strong>of</strong> two drums thatare played in tandem: a larger, metaldrum for bass notes called bayan anda smaller, wooden drum for highernotes called dayan. <strong>The</strong> tabla is achallenging instrument to play, withcomplex rhythm patterns and fingerand wrist movements that take yearsto master. Tablas usually accompanyother instruments or vocalists—soloperformance is a relatively recentphenomenon, developing in the lasthundred years or so.Example <strong>of</strong> a Tabla drumSHAHBASHDari for “Bravo!”SHOWARIa Dari term for the Soviets.TALIBArabic for “scholar.” This term was alsoused to refer to <strong>of</strong>ficials in the Taliban.TASHAKURDari for “thank you.”15