The Kite Runner Journal Entry #1

"The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born." p. 37- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Most of my generation can admit to never before having heard the name of Afghanistan without so much as having a second thought about it. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was getting ready for my first day of grade six, but my nation was getting ready for war; a war to take place in the still recovering nation of Afghanistan.
Anyone born as late as the 1970's might remember the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that had it annexed into the USSR for twenty years, which is the event that The Kite Runner is set around. It was this invasion that gave way to bloody conflict.
In the novel, the narrator, Amir, describes the nature of the Afghan people in relation to this conflict. "Abhorring rules and embracing customs" were qualities of his people, in essence being a deadly formula should an outside power hope to usurp control of the country. The Afghan people fought for their customs and fought against the rules that the Soviet machine found ease with in some nations.
Adamantly in opposition to Soviet exploits of any kind was our saviour and protector America, who took steps toward preparing this country for a violent, but effective response. The USA fought back with the Taliban, and left them in Afghanistan to continue doing the things the way that they thought things should be done.
Out of this conflict, as suggested by the above passage from the novel, a generation was born. This generation , "whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire", was raised still with the ingrained sense of image, abhorring rules and embracing customs.
Also having Islam at its core of influence, it became known throughout the mosques that the USA was the new enemy, hoping to apply rules and replace holy customs with their own. It didn't take much more than a charismatic man of this position to take steps to fighting this enemy. The USA endured this blow and retaliated with that which the Muslim extremists had originally feared. Now, the USA is in the Middle East, applying their own rules to Afghanistan and Iraq alike. They finished their old business in Iraq with the bold Saddam Hussein and still remain present. Making their power known in the form of familiar military weaponry, and recreating the necessary environment for a new "generation of Afghan children whose ears would no nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire," beginning the cycle anew.