1.Explain the tensions that exist between Pashtuns and Hazara Afghans. Furthermore, describe the tensions between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.

The Pashtuns (ethnic Afghans) are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.The Hazaras are a Persian-speaking people who reside mainly in the Hazarajat region in central Afghanistan. Both conflict over power and claim abuses. The minority Hazaras, like in this novel, particularily are discrimited against by the majority. The two Muslim groups suffer from similar conflicts. THe Sunni's are the majority in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Shiites form the majority only in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan, but they constitute sizable minorities in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.