Kites & Causes

Last night I read The Kite Runner. I read it from start to finish and was up until 3am reading because I just couldn't put it down. I cried when I read it. I cried because it was sad, even though I knew it would be sad. The book is about an Afghan-American man who reflects on his past friendship with his childhood friend in Afghanistan. The story begins during pre-Taliban times and ends with the Taliban in full power. While we all know what messed up people the Taliban were, and I knew I shouldn't have been surprised reading about what they've done since I heard it all before, it was still very much upsetting and I had a hard time sleeping after just thinking about the harsh living conditions that some people are faced with.

If I lived during the Taliban regime I'd be forced to wear a suffocating burqa, lose my job, lose my rights, and basically be forced to feel ashamed of being a woman. There's no question that V would be publicly executed, but oh wait, so would I, because unmarried men and women aren't allowed to talk to each other, God forbid, love each other. My mom, who wore hijab briefly when she got married but quit because she felt more Islamic without it, would probably face a similar fate. My dad would be forced to have a beard of a certain length and my brother would be forced to grow one on his baby smooth face as soon as he reached common facial hair age. My sisters would be under constant house arrest and would not be allowed to continue their education and my grandparents would be forced to close down their sports stores because we all know that sports and physical activity is sinful (I'm being sarcastic). Last but not least, my aunt would probably be raped and killed because she's Shia and my cousins, the offspring of her and my Sunni uncle would probably be killed too. Paints a depressing picture doesn't it?

A movie based on the book is set to be released this November. That's one movie I'll have to see. I recommend this book to everyone. It's emotionally upsetting but it's important.

One thing I really appreciate about my parents is how involved they've always been in various causes from as far back as I can remember. Maybe it was because they grew up during the Apartheid, but from supporting orphans in other parts of the world, to attending fundraising events that support different charities, peaceful rallies against occupation, oppression, and the like, my parents' interest and want to help in the little way that ordinary people can, has always been an inspiration to me and my siblings.

Don't turn a blind eye to all the atrocities taking place in the world today. We have responsibilities, and one of them is to help our brothers and sisters who are tied to us through humanity. On March 17th there's going to be a rally and march through downtown Toronto. If you live nearby or have some time, I'd really encourage you all to go. It's the four year anniversary of the invasion in Iraq and the rally is to demonstrate opposition to American troops in Iraq, and also for Afghanistan. Be supportive, have a voice. If you don't make your opposition clear, you have no right to complain. The Taliban were (and are) evil people, but evil exists in many forms and the U.S. government and their so-called "good intentions" on the fight against terrorism are only another example.