Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia) University of Peshawar, Pakistan June 2017
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
AFGHAN ETHNIC AND SOCIAL POLITICS DEPICTED IN ‘THE KITE RUNNER’ BY IRFAN ALI SHAH AREA STUDY CENTRE (RUSSIA, CHINA & CENTRAL ASIA) UNIVERSITY OF PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN JUNE 2017 AFGHAN ETHNIC AND SOCIAL POLITICS DEPICTED IN ‘THE KITE RUNNER’ A dissertation submitted to the University of Peshawar, Pakistan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy AREA STUDY CENTRE (RUSSIA, CHINA & CENTRAL ASIA) UNIVERSITY OF PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN JUNE 2017 ii Author’s Declaration I hereby state that my Ph.D., thesis titled ―Afghan Ethnic and Social Politics Depicted in The Kite Runner” is my own work and has not been submitted previously by me for taking any degree from the University of Peshawar or anywhere else in the country/world. At any time, if my statement is found incorrect, even after my Graduation, the University has the right to withdraw my Ph.D., degree. Irfan Ali Shah June, 2017 iii Plagiarism Undertaking I solemnly declare that the research work presented in the thesis titled “Afghan Ethnic and Social Politics Depicted in The Kite Runner” is solely my research work with no significant contribution from any other person. Small contribution/help wherever taken has been duly acknowledged and that complete thesis has been written by me. I understand the zero-tolerance policy of the HEC and University of Peshawar towards plagiarism. Therefore, I, as author of above titled thesis declare that no portion of my thesis has been plagiarized and any material used as reference is properly referred/cited. I undertake that if I am found guilty of any formal plagiarism in the above titled thesis even after award of Ph.D., degree, the University reserves the right to withdraw/revoke my Ph.D., degree and that HEC and the University has the right to publish my name on the HEC/University website on which names of students are placed who submitted plagiarized thesis. Student/Author Signature____________________________ Name: Irfan Ali Shah iv Certificate of Approval This is to certify that the research work presented in this thesis, titled “Afghan Ethnic and Social Politics Depicted in ‘The Kite Runner’” was conducted by Mr. Irfan Ali Shah under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sarfraz Khan. No part of this thesis has been submitted anywhere else for any other degree. This thesis is submitted to the Area Study Centre (Central Asia) in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English, Department of Area Study Centre (Central Asia), University of Peshawar. Student Name: Irfan Ali Shah Signature__________________ Examination Committee: External Examiner 1: Dr Richard C. Taylor Associate Professor Department of English East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858, USA External Examiner 2: Dr Richard Lee Professor of English Interim Dean of Arts and Humanities State University of New York (SUNY) Oneonta, NY USA Internal Examiner: Dr. Nukhbah Taj Langah Signature________________ Dean of Humanities Associate Professor of English Foreman Christian College University (FCCU) Lahore, Pakistan Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sarfraz Khan Signature_______________ Dean/Director: Prof. Dr. Shabbir Ahmad Khan Signature_______________ v Dedication To my family vi Acknowledgments This research work owes to many individuals. I may not be able to appropriately acknowledge their help in the completion of this work. However, first of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Sarfraz Khan, Director, Area Study Centre (Central Asia), University of Peshawar, for his continuous support, patience, motivation, and immense knowledge that he extended to me during this research work. His intellectual and academic guidance helped me enormously during my research and put me on the track. He is truly my mentor. I am indebted to the Faculty and Staff of Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar, particularly, Late Dr. Muhammad Anwar Khan, former Vice Chancellor, Dr. Khalil ur Rehman, Assistant Professor, Mr. Sahar Gul, Librarian, and Mr. Roohul Amin, Academic Assistant. I am also grateful to Dr. Ayaz Ahmad, Senior Lecturer, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, for his guidance and immense knowledge: we had a mutual discussion on various aspects of this work. Besides, I acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Noor Muhammad Danish Bittani, Assistant Professor, Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar, and Dr Noor ul Amin, Senior lecturer, Islamia College University, Peshawar. This research work would not have been possible without the financial support of Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. I express my gratitude to the HEC for providing me grant for M.Phil. leading to PhD, under the scheme ―PhD Fellowship for 5000 Scholars vii (Indigenous) Scheme, Batch-V, 2008‖ which enabled me to complete this work. I am equally indebted to my employers, Postmaster General, Dr. Aziz Ullah Khan, the Deputies, Mr. Sami Ullah Khan, and Mr. Rashid Ullah Khan Kundi, for helping me in their own way and facilitating this work. My special thanks go to my dear parents whose prayers kept me steadfast towards my goal. Particularly my Baba jee (father), who encouraged me throughout my research work. I am sure they would be very happy on the achievement of my work. Last, but not the least, thanks to my wife, whose support gave me the strength to pursue my research. To my little stars: Jawad, Urooj, and Mahnoor whose shining faces and glaring eyes rejuvenated me, time and again, when I felt tired during my research work. Despite all ups and downs during my research work, I feel happy on the completion of my work. Irfan Ali Shah viii Abstract This work attempts to examine the depiction of ethnic disparity between the Pashtun and Hazara in the novel, The Kite Runner. It argues that the ethnic disparity between the Pashtun and Hazara exists in the novel. It also argues that an internal orientalist discourse is embedded in the text of the novel. The Kite Runner is the first novel in English written by Khaled Hossenei, an Afghan-American (and Hazara), in the United States, in 2003. It portrays the ethno-political culture of Afghanistan from the end of monarchy (1973) till the fall of Taliban regime (2001). The story revolves around two characters: Amir, an ethnic Pashtun, Sunni, and wealthy, and Hassan, servant of Amir‘s father, an ethnic Hazara, Shia. Novel writing/reading began, in Afghanistan, in the early 20th century, while, ethnicity became salient in last three decades of the century. Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic state, comprising more than 50 ethnic groups, though, the Afghan Constitution, 2004, recognizes only 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkmen, Baluch, Pashai, Nuristani, Aimaq, Arab, Kirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujar, and Brahui. The Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek are the major ethnic groups, in the order respectively, whose co- ethnics reside in the neighbouring states of Afghanistan such as, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. The ethnic Pashtun ruled the country throughout its history since 1747, barring two brief spans (1929 and 1992-94) when ethnic Tajik ruled. This work employs internal orientalism as its theoretical framework and applies analytical and interpretive methods. To explore discourse of ethnic disparity in The Kite Runner, Michel Foucault‘s method of discourse analysis has been applied in chapter 5. Hence, Hossenei‘s relevant statements ix regarding ethnic: divisions, disparity; polarity; especially, between the Pashtun and Hazara, have been analyzed and interpreted. Chapter 1 attempts to develop a conceptual base and theoretical framework. It provides an overview of the geography, charting various Afghan ethnic groups and estimates major ethnic groups on the basis of available surveys and sources in Afghanistan: Pashtun 44%; Tajik 29%; Hazara 9%; Uzbek 7% and other smaller ethnic groups constitute around 11% of the Afghan population. It also describes instances of forced displacement of tribes and ethnic cleansing in Afghanistan, besides introducing the novel, The Kite Runner, its author, Khaled Hossenei. It states research questions, hypotheses, theoretical framework and methodology too. Chapter 2 argues that qaum, a flexible term, referring to (kin, clan, village, tribe, ethnic/vocational/confessional group, profession, and/or nation) and ethnicity became salient in Afghanistan during the last three decades of the 20th century. It examines how the promulgation of 1964 Constitution in Afghanistan stirred political struggle between various ethnic groups, the Pashtun and non-Pashtun, for power, and, how, the Soviet invasion, in 1979, stimulated and politicised ethnicity. It further describes how, conversely, the Mujahideen (1992-96) and the Taliban (1996-2001), though Islamists, ethnicised politics that resulted into ethnic: violence; cleansing; and/or conflict. Ethnicity became further salient during the post-Taliban periods due to power sharing arrangements on ethnic basis. The review of existing literature on the topic in Chapter 3 points out that ethnic division, polarity, and conflict as core issues have been strengthened in Afghanistan during the last three decades of the 20th x century. Sectarianism and ethnic: mobilization; cleansing also increased. During this period, foreign interference and warlordism increased ethnic and sectarian polarization, however, it did not spread to the masses. The neighbouring states of Afghanistan: Pakistan; Tajikistan; Iran; Uzbekistan; comprising a population of same ethnicity, have a natural advantage to