Hosseini, Khaled: *1965

The Kite Runner, 2003 - Glossary

Caliphate: The traditional Islamic form of government, presided over by a caliph, either appointed or elected, who is considered the political leader of all Muslims.

Farsi: The most widely spoken member of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, a subfamily of the Indo-European languages. It is the language of Iran and is also widely spoken in Afghanistan

Hazara: A term describing the Hazara people, an ethnic minority originating in the mountainous region of Afghanistan called Hazarajat. Characterized by their mongoloid facial features, adherence to Shi'a Islam, and long history of persecution.

Mujahedin: A term used to describe a group of Muslims engaged in a war or conflict. In this novel, it describes the Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front, which challenged the Soviet forces and later lost against the PDPA (People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan) government.

Shi'a Islam: The second largest denomination of the Islamic faith. Shi'a Islam believes that the teachings of Muhammad were carried through his descendants and do not accept the caliphate.

Shorawi: The Farsi term for the Soviets, who invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and occupied the country for a decade.

Sunni Islam: The largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam accepts the caliphate, meaning that it considers the Caliph or head of a Muslim state a successor to Muhammad.