Special Sub-Topic: The Hazara people of Afghanistan Click Here To Play: The Hazara people of Afghanistan

The Hazara people of Afghanistan live in an the isolated central highlands of the country. What is the name given to this region?

Hazarajat. The Hazaras live primarily in this region but are now living in other areas of the country as well. They account for up to one-fifth of the population.

The Hazaras are largely members of what sect or faith?

Shiite Muslims. The Shiite Muslims are a minority in an overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim country. The Taliban are mostly fundamentalist Sunni.

The Taliban tended to view the Hazaras as what?

Infidels. The Taliban claimed that Hazaras didn't look the way Afghans should look and didn't worship the way Muslims should worship.

What movie and book featured a fictional Hazara boy as one the main characters?

The Kite Runner. The Kite Runner, a best selling novel, featured a Pashtun boy and a Hazara boy as best friends. I highly recommend the book and the movie!

Which of the following are not considered an ethnic group in the country of Afghanistan?

Kurds. The Kurds are a group of people found in Northern Iraq.

In March of 2001, the Taliban fired rockets at targets in the Bamian province. What were the targets?

Colossal Stone Buddhas. The colossal Bamian Buddhas had stood for 1,500 years looking out over Bamian province. The Buddhas were possibly carved by Hazara ancestors. The Taliban fired rockets at the statues for days on end until they were destroyed.

The Hazaras are thought to be descendants of which 13th century invaders?

Genghis Khan's Mongolian soldiers. Genghis Khan's Mongolian soldiers march into central Afghanistan in the 13th century and conquered the inhabitants. The survivors of this invasion intermarried with the Mongolian invaders and became the Hazaras.

Over the years the Hazaras have been persecuted for being different: the victims of great prejudice. This has been in part attributed to what?

their Asian features. The diversity of the Hazaras facial features have allowed them to be singled out as different or outsiders. They have Asian features such as narrow eyes, flat noses and broad cheeks.

Six years after the fall of the Taliban, many Hazaras are finding opportunities outside of their Highland homeland. Which city now has a large percentage of Hazara residing there?

Kabul. Up to 40% of the population in Kabul is now Hazara. Hazaras are very driven to obtain education and better work opportunities. Those opportunities are more available in a large city like Kabul.

What event sparked hope for a better future for the Hazaras?

The invasion of Afghanistan by American and Allied forces. While elsewhere in the world people were recovering from the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the invasion of Afghanistan, by American forces, seems to have provided hope for the Hazara people and others. The Taliban was overthrown and new opportunities for a better life have emerged.