By AMY L. ZITKA, Middletown Press Staff

04/20/2005

MIDDLETOWN -- Members of the Middletown Rotary Club got an in-depth perspective of the Afghan culture which helped to put "The Kite Runner" into context.

Saleh Keshawarz, an associate engineering professor at the University of Hartford, spoke to the Rotarians Tuesday regarding some of the culture touched upon in Dr. Khaled Hosseini’s book, which was the chosen selection for the club-sponsored One Book, One Middletown program.

Keshawarz read Hosseini’s book, and "it’s nice," he said. Keshawarz had lived in Afghanistan and received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Kabul, Afghanistan. He came to the United States in 1978 to visit his brother in Tennessee. At the time, the Russian invasion of Afghanistan had occurred and he was stuck in New York. Keshawarz enrolled in the master’s program in Tennessee and then went for his doctorate -- and has been in the United States ever since.

"There never has been a formal census of (Afghanistan)," Keshawarz said. "It’s a country whose makeup is very diverse."

Any figures of the ethnic and religious makeup of the country are guesses and estimates, he said. The major ethnic groups in the country are the Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras.

"People have gotten along with each other unless foreigners meddle in affairs," Keshawarz said, adding this has especially occurred since the Russian invasion. The Hazaras live in the mountains, and it is difficult to move, so once they migrate into the cities they have to take menial jobs, he said.

"You can see the ethnic makeup in the book," Keshawarz said.

The book’s title comes from the popular children’s game of kiting in Afghanistan.

"Kiting is the best entertainment for children, especially in the start of wintertime," Keshawarz said. There is no summer vacation, only winter vacation, because winter is harsh in the country, he said. The kites are designed to be maneuverable and the strings are coated with ground glass making them sharp.

There will be a fight between kites and eventually a string from one kite will cut another, and "the kids will run after the one falling and try to catch it," Keshawarz said. He showed an Afghan kite and passed around the glass-covered kite string. Keshawarz also passed around a slingshot, one similar to those used by children to hunt birds.

Keshawarz also told the group about the stories handed down from generation to generation which is mentioned in "The Kite Runner."

The title, translated into English, is "The Epic of the Kings," which is similar to Homer’s work, he said as he held up a copy of the book. "This is the book Amir reads to Hassan. The book is widely used in Afghanistan in storytelling."

Keshawarz said he has traveled back to Afghanistan within the past three or four years, and there were no soldiers and he was "welcomed by the population."

"There’s a lot of goodwill," he said, adding American soldiers are not seen on the streets. Security is done by Afghans. Keshawarz said there is no resentment between the civilians and American military.

Keshawarz, a Muslim, said he has lived half his life in the United States and became a citizen. His three children were born in the United States. Keshawarz told the Rotarians that he has not seen any prejudice toward him in recent years.

To contact Amy L. Zitka, call (860) 347-3331 ext. 219.