Red skies over Afghanistan

   
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There has been war in Afghanistan for decades,[1] but the country and its troubles have recently enjoyed an unusual prominence in popular culture. From the literary world we have Khaled Hosseini and his bestselling novels of life in Afghanistan, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. From Hollywood we have an adaptation of The Kite Runner, as well as Charlie Wilson’s War, focusing on the American response to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the Cold War. And on the small screen we can watch Ross Kemp exploring the current conflict from the perspective of British troops stationed in the country. This multitude of different perspectives provides an excellent opportunity to take a detailed look at a land in turmoil, and the varying actions and attitudes which can emerge in response to such situations.

Charlie Wilson’s War is the story of a man who changed the world. The film opens with a celebration of his extraordinary achievement during which we are told that, ‘without Charlie, history would be hugely and sadly different’. We are then taken back to 6 April 1980 when Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) first learns about the Afghan struggles against occupying communist forces. Charlie is an easy-going man who enjoys whisky, women, and having a good time. However, when he finds out how little his country is doing to oppose the Soviets in the only hot zone of the Cold War, Charlie becomes determined to change things.

Starting with the decision to double the budget for operations in the area, Charlie’s plans become more ambitious until he finds himself running a full-scale covert war. He is aided in his schemes by Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), a wealthy socialite with right-wing political leanings and an outspoken Christian faith, and Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an oddball CIA agent with a marked lack of respect for authority. The three conspirators, with the help of some witty political dialogue, an entourage of attractive aides and a belly dancer, manage to secure cutting-edge weaponry and a billion dollar budget for the Mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan. The fruit of their labour is the retreat of Soviet forces from the region, which catalyses the collapse of communism across Europe, and the end of the Cold War.

Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns looks at a wider period of the history of the author’s native country, beginning before the Soviet invasion and covering events up to the present situation. The perspective from which these events are viewed is also very different from that of Charlie Wilson’s War. The story focuses on two women, Mariam and Laila, as they grow up and face terrible situations while war and politics tear their country apart around them. These women, rather than the events themselves, are the heart of the book, and we view life in Afghanistan through the filter of their often horrifying experiences. While it doesn’t have the comedic aspects of Charlie Wilson’s War, the novel is not entirely bleak. In the midst of their suffering, the women find friendship, love, and even hope. The novel is an inspiring depiction of the human spirit and its ability to survive and triumph against all the odds.

Mariam and Laila come from very different backgrounds, and we see very different sides to life in Afghanistan through their eyes. Both of them experience tragedy befalling their families when they reach their teenage years, and they find themselves thrown together in an almost nightmarish scenario. First, fifteen-year-old Mariam is uprooted from her village life to travel to Kabul and marry troubled widower Rasheed. While she struggles to come to terms with her new life, Laila is growing up in a house just down the street. However, these are turbulent times, and nearly twenty years after Mariam was sent to Kabul, both women find their lives turned upside down when fourteen-year-old Laila is forced to join Rasheed’s household. The women soon find that their mutual suffering makes any differences between them irrelevant, and an unlikely but powerful friendship is forged between them. The bonds of compassion and love prove strong enough to see Mariam and Laila through all the trials to come.

Hosseini claims that his hopes for A Thousand Splendid Suns are those of any author: that his readers will enjoy the book, identify with the characters, and become emotionally engaged with their story. However, he also has wider ambitions for his work:

As an Afghan, I would like readers to walk away with a sense of empathy for Afghans, and more specifically for Afghan women, on whom the effects of war and extremism have been devastating. I hope I am not exceeding the scope of my writing when I say that I would like the reading of this book to add depth, nuance, emotional subtext, and individuality to the all-too-ubiquitous image of the burqa-clad woman walking down a dusty street.[2]

Both Charlie Wilson’s War and A Thousand Splendid Suns are inspirational stories. Charlie’s struggle to win support for his cause and make a difference in Afghanistan inspires us to believe that we can change the world, and motivates us to act on issues that matter to us. Mariam and Laila’s courage and steadfast love inspire us to believe that we can survive whatever horrors the world throws at us, and do so without compromising our identity or integrity.

The major differences between the two stories are rooted in the contrasting perspectives from which Afghanistan is viewed. With a focus on the ideals and actions of a few Americans and their allies, Charlie Wilson’s War presents us with an outsider’s view of the situation. The film captures the experience of seeing other people’s suffering; we may do everything we can to help them, but there is always a gap between us and them. One memorable scene in the film cuts from an image of flaming shrapnel in the streets of Kabul to high heels walking down the corridors of Washington. Working at such a distance, Charlie Wilson will never understand the war he is fighting in the same way as those in the middle of it all. This inevitably leads to some misconceptions: Joanne Herring believes their actions will help liberate women in Afghanistan; A Thousand Splendid Suns informs us that the Soviet occupation was a good time for women’s rights and freedom (p. 121). As it is impossible for Charlie and his friends to completely comprehend the situation, they are unable to accurately predict the outcome of their schemes. This is poignantly illustrated at the end of the film, when it is hinted that the current conflict in the area was precipitated by the US intervention masterminded by Wilson.

While it is less clear about the bigger picture, A Thousand Splendid Suns provides an exceptional insight into the everyday experience of life in these troubled times. Although this is a fictional story, unlike Charlie Wilson’s War, it offers the reader a much greater understanding of the situation in Afghanistan. Through the novel we gain an insider’s perspective, empathising with Laila and Mariam, and feeling their suffering as our own. Rather than thinking about alleviating the suffering of others, A Thousand Splendid Suns prompts us to consider our own experiences of suffering, and how we cope with our problems. From inside the situation, the solutions seem very different to those chosen by Charlie Wilson and his team. Warfare brings short-term victories, but long-term suffering, and no lasting peace is achieved. The force that transforms Mariam and Laila’s situation is love. Love enables the women to endure all things, it gives them hope, and it changes the way they see the world around them. This love, however, is not an easy response to their problems. The transformation of their situation comes at a high price, demanding great sacrifices from both Laila and Mariam. Mariam’s actions, in particular, contain powerful echoes of the Christian message of hope and change. The story of Jesus presents God’s way of changing the world, not through politics or rocket launchers, but by entering into our suffering and showing us what love really means. Jesus’ death on our behalf creates hope for our future, and a way for us to change from the inside out. Once we have accepted this love, and assimilated it into our attitudes and lifestyle, then we may be able to make a real difference to our world.

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