American Perception V.S Kite Runner Perception

Perreault 1 Emerald Perreault Mrs. Wagner English IIII 20, December, 2011 American Perception V. S Kite Runner Perception of Afghanistan The U. S went thru the most tragic, life changing, mind conflicting event of all time. On September, 11, 2001 terrorist flew two plans into the Twin Towers in New York City. The terrorist attack on 9/11 devastated and ruined an enormous amount of American lives. Weather an American lost a friend, loved one, or relative, every American lost something valuable that day. Americans lost their right to feel safe: at work, at home, or at popular locations.

The last time American safety was threatened was during World War II. U. S citizens are not use to war or violence happening in their country, unlike the Middle East. Americans do not reacted positively, when tragic situation happen. Their reaction to 9/11 changed the American perception of Afghanistan and Muslim culture. Americans lost all their trust for Muslims. That lack of trust between them created a whole new stereotype. Stereotype: A general statement or word, fit to describe a specific group of people.

The American stereotype created to describe Muslims is anyone who is Muslim or from the Middle East was sent to America, to destroy their wealthy non dictated, country. National Geographic Channel says,” Afghans who fled their homeland for a new life in the United States are troubled to find themselves subject to suspicion and mistrust on the basis of their nationality and religion. ” Based off of this information, Muslims are all being put into one pile, stereotypically. Afghanistan man who goes by the name of Fouzia Afshari says,” We are good people, we are civilized” who volunteers at Mustafa Center, an Afghan

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Perreault 2 Culture Academy near Washington D. C “We are not that type of Afghan people are thinking about right now. ” Fouzia Afshari is a Muslim, obviously he is not a terrorist or out to get America, the controversy is the attackers were not American. By not being American, the terrorists allowed Americans to lose trust in a whole country of people. Muslim people will have to deal with the uncertainty of ever gaining American trust back or the American perception of Afghanistan should not be based off of what a handle full of Muslims did,but based on actual facts.

Khaled Hosseini book The Kite Runner portrays Afghanistan realistically V. S the American Perception. (National Geographic news website) Clearly, the American Perception of Afghanistan is a little farfetched. The perception is not based on Afghanistan or Muslim culture, but based on what a hand full of Muslims did (AKA 9/11). The terrorist attack traumatized Americans, giving them a stereotypical perception. Typically, when a person thinks of war, immediately people think of other people being shot left and right, bombs exploding everywhere.

Americans think that the terrorist attack was the Middle East declaring war on them. From that point on, Americans believed that the Afghans that were not fighting U. S troops off, were all sitting at a table brainstorming how their going to attack America next. Some Americans were so devastated that they will not go anywhere near Muslims or anyone from the Middle East because of their stereotypical perception. Muslims own about 75% of the gas station and covenant stores in the United States. Americans that will not associate with Muslims will go farther out of their way for gas.

Americans think that Muslims do not like Americans because of the U. S troops in the Middle East and when an American goes to a Muslim gas station, their receiving less gas. Even in an unstable economy Americans still go out Perreault 3 of there way for gas, allowing Muslims to see that Americans truly view them all as terrorist. For Afghans and Muslims it is confusing for them to understand why the America perception is so ridiculous. The perception is not only based on 9/11, it is also has to do with Americans not being given the full picture of the war in Afghanistan.

The media diffidently confuses Americans. Josh Meyer stated in his article Gap between the U. S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits ” While Americans are given one media report after another about how Afghanistan is filled with exploding bombs, attacking hordes of the Taliban and a lawlessness that pervades every corner of the war torn nation, the real story is a more nuanced one. ” Americans are given exaggerated reports on what’s happening in Afghanistan. The media is 100% to blame for the skewed version of the Afghanistan war Americans have.

Based on that version of the war Americans make false actuation, which hurts the Afghanistan and Muslim population. (Josh Meyer) The American perception of Afghanistan upsets Muslims and makes it harder for their people to come to America. Muslims who are leaving Afghanistan are on America’s side. They are fleeing their own homeland and coming to start new in America because they do not agree with how their country is being ruined. Afghans come to America for the freedom that is taken from them in Afghanistan. Naweed an Afghan woman tells National Geographic channel “No art, no radio, no television, painting, drawing-nothing is allowed.

Education for women is not allowed. Music is not allowed, they call it satanic. That’s why we are strongly working to keep our culture alive here in America. ” Naweed is one of many who wants to feel at home. For Muslims America is their new homeland, but because of the American perception the majority of Perreault 4 afghans feel out of place. “ I’m raising my kids here and I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong here. But, that’s what I feel here as an Afghan and a Muslim. ” said Alina to the National Geographic Channel, adding: “ I don’t want to lose another home. Afghans don’t want to come to America they rather live in their own country where feel at home, but they have no choice. Yet hope remains that Afghanistan will one day be in the hands of peace-loving Afghans and everyone will see the truth. (National Geographic Channel) Afghanistan was once a country where Afghans could be successful and wealthy. Then the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the Taliban was created, but took a turn for the worst and the U. S army went to help the people in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union was defeated the Civil War still continued.

The Taliban was created to go in and unify the country. The Taliban comes form the word student- that’s what it means. The Taliban is made up of students that went to religious schools in Pakistan and former fighters, who use to fight in the war against the Soviet Union. The Taliban is what made Afghanistan a terraces place to live. After the Taliban brought peace to 80% of the country, they became power hunger and started to take away Afghanistan’s freedom. Even with the Taliban dictating Afghanistan, Josh Meyer, author of Gap between the U.

S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits says, “ Anyone in this room could go to Kabul now and have a fairly good time. There are restaurants and there are bars,” and the streets are not a shooting gallery with various factions trying to kill each other, while armed insurgents are also trying to U. S and coalition forces. “ The Taliban Is not a very large insurgent group. ” Josh Meyer is trying to inform Americans that Afghanistan is not Iraq, but it is still not a place where all Afghans can make a living. (Josh Meyer) Perreault 5

The Kite runner is the perfect example of how Afghanistan is not Iraq, but not a place where all afghans can make a living. Author Khaled Hosseini tells a story about Amir and Hassan these two Afghan boys who grew up together, but where separated by Amirs will to make his farther proud and the Soviet Union invading. Amir betrayed Hassan by watching him being raped by Asseft because Hassan was a Haraza. Guilt ate at Amir until he framed Hassan for steeling and Hassan and his father left in embarrassment. Shortly after Amir and BaBa ( Amirs farther) took a journey to America.

Where Baba had to run a gas satiation and sell items he bought at a yard sale at the local flee market. Before Baba and Amir came to America they were wealthy. So wealthy that Hassan and his father were Baba servants. Afghanistan is not as poverty strict end as Americans thought it was. Amir and Baba did not come to America to destroy it, he came to America because Kabul was not safe and he hoped Amir could receives the best possible education in America. Baba and Amir were in America for two years. For those two years Baba would by a jar of fruit form the same people everyday with cash.

One day Baba had no money, he wrote a check out instead. When the man asked for Id Baba exploded, “He wants to see my license? Almost two years we’ve bought his dam fruits and put money in his pocket and son of a dog wants to see my license. ” Amir says, “ They’re suppose to ask for Id” Baba says,” Dose he think I’m a thief? What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody. ” Baba thought that the man working thought he was steeling when the man asked Baba for Id. Baba was offended. Years down the road Amir is told that Hassan died in Kabul.

Hassan was shot in the back of the head because a Talian member thought him and his family where living in Amirs old house instead of in the hut outside made specifically for servants. Amir felt responsible because if he Perreault 6 and Baba would of stayed Hassan may still be alive. For Hassan he is an Afghan who should fled from Afghanistan. Amir and Baba could of stayed in Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini book portrayed Afghanistan well and realistically. (Khaled Hosseini) The American Perception of Afghanistan is not realistic or based on actual facts.

The Kite Runner diffidently grasps and gives a better understanding of Afghanistan. Unfortunely, Afghans who come to America will have to deal with the mistrust Americans have towards them like Baba. The American Perception is not do to Americans not educating themselves. It is because of terrible media reports. Bergen the author of The Longest War: Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda says, “ It is not being well communicated to the American public that the afghan war is nothing like the Iraq war, the media has to take responsibility for that.

The differences between Afghanistan and Iraq couldn’t be more stark. ” Bergen wants people to know that the media is portraying Afghanistan as a war torn place like Iraq, when they are both completely different. Afghanistan is not in as big of an up roar as the media made it. Instead of relying on the media to prove Americans with the proper information, Americans should educate themselves, stop listening to everything they hear. Also Americans should not rely on electronics and once in a while pick up a book or ask someone who is Muslim to explain what’s going on. (Bergen)

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