Ethnicity and religion is a sensitive issue that is demonstrated throughout the novel. To begin with, the Hazara people are often persecuted for their physical appearance. Amir describes Hassan as having “[an] almost perfectly …show more content…
Assef, who joins the Taliban, voices the resentment and ill-natured thoughts they bear towards the tribe. In reference to the Hazara massacre in Mazar-i-Sharif Assef says, “Door to door we went, calling for the men and the boys. We’d shoot them right there in front of their families. Let them see. Let them remember who they were, and where they belonged […] stood in a roomful of standing targets, let the bullets fly, free of guilt and remorse, knowing you are doing God’s work” (290). For the purpose of “[taking] out the garbage”, as Assef described, the Taliban brutally slaughtered numerous Hazaras. From his statement, it is evident that he truly believes that he is fulfilling God’s work. It is very similar to the genocide of the Jewish People under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. This is indicative of the perpetual cruelty of mankind that cause historical persecution like this to repeat itself. To summarize, there are several incidents in The Kite Runner that demonstrate the oppression of the Hazaras by the Pashtuns; it is evident through their spiteful treatment of the Shi’a Hazara Muslims, the distinction between social classes, and the mass slaughter carried out by the Taliban. All in all, it goes to show the deeply rooted malice the Pashtuns bear towards the Hazaras. The rift between these two tribes is not one that can easily be