Amir in the Kite Runner

The Kite Runner takes place in Afghanistan, which is a very religious country. Most people in Afghanistan practice Sunni Islam. Sunni is one of the two major denominations of Islam; Shi'a is the other one. In the novel The kite runner, there is a discrimination of religion's differences, because Hasan is an ethnic Hazara and practices Shi'a Islam, therefore the Afghan people mistreat him because of his race and religion. They consider that Hazaras as a slave in their community.For examples; Hasan get raped after kite tournament and he could not do anything, because no one would help him because of being Hazara.

(p.56) On the other hand, In Afghanistan there are a secular and religious people, therefore secular and religious people frequently discuss because of the religious conflict. Amir's father is one the secular part so that he hates radical religious group and says" God help us all if Afghanistan ever falls into their hands." According to Mullah drinking alcohol is the big sin but his father doesn't think like him and says "If there is s a God out there, I would hope he has more important things to attend to than my drinking scotch or eating pork". (p.34)

The author Khaled Hosseini rarely mentions about religion, because it plays a big role in the main character..At the beginning of the novel, Amir first questions his religion and also listens to a Mullah who considers that drinking was a big sin.The next day he sees his father drinking and asks his father about the sins . His father says "I see you've confused what you're learning in school with actual education," then says that " no matter the mullah teaches, there is only one sin", and that one sin was theft."(P.47) After listening to them he cannot decide who has been right, because these religious conflicts confuse him. According to his father: Killing, cheating, lying, were a different type of theft. Baba says "When you kill a man, you steal a life," and continues "You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness."(p. 29)After Amir listens to his father begins to blame himself for killing his mother and believes that Baba hates him for this reason. Many people seek forgiveness through religion but should turn to. Amir seems as if he does not believe in Religions and maybe does not care for it as a traditional follower of Islam would. Even though it seems this way he will carry religion with him throughout the novel and will become a greater part of his life as he matures.

Amir rescues Hassan's son that from a Taliban official and wants to take him to the United States.However, a man who works in American Embassy says that Sohrab is going to need to go to an orphanage again.Sohrab no wants to returns to the orphanage and tries to commit suicide by slitting his wrists.Amir is able to get Sohrab to the hospital then finds a white bed sheet to begins to pray for Sohrab. When he puts his forehead to the ground, he remembers that he has not " prayed for over fifteen years " and has long forgotten the words " but it did not matter to him.(p.198) Later on, he speaks the words that he still did remember. In his prayer, he says that he can now see that " Baba was wrong " and prays for forgiveness of his sins, betrayal, and lies.(p.279) Amir promises to become a good follower and for his last words he asks for one last thing and says, " My hands are stained with Hassan's blood; I pray to God does not let them get stained with the blood of his boy too " I stated previously that many people seek for forgiveness through religion. In Amir's life, guilt was carried with him and he was never able to forgive himself. When he hears his father's diagnosis or Sohrab's suicide attempt, he seeks to his faith to get over these. This shows that Amir unconsciously also uses his faith in his life. Amir is a very introverted main character because when he turns to his faith, the reader is truly aware of his feelings. Amir needs to believe in God to get rid of his sins, betrayals and lies. His faith allows allow him to forgive himself and makes Amir become more mature as his father. and says "the verses came naturally now".(p268) This shows that Amir has accepted his faith and has grown from it. By reconciling and coming to terms with his betrayal of Hassan, he can finally now embrace Islam.

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