Azan

Prachatai. “azan.” Flickr. 1 Nov. 2012. Digital Image. 27 Apr. 2016. 

Azan, or adhan, is the Islamic call to worship. It is called by the mullah, the Muslim religious leader, five times a day. Adhan is derived from the words “adhina” and “udhun”, meaning “to listen, to hear, be informed about,” and “ear,” respectively (Wikipedia). The azan is recited as follows (with the English translation in parenthesis),

Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest)

Allahu Akbar

Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lah (I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah)

Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lah

Ash hadu an-na Muhammadar rasulul lah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah)

Ash hadu an-na Muhammadar rasulul lah

Hayya ‘alas salah (Come to prayer)

Hayya ‘alas salah

Hayya ‘alal falah (Come to your good)

Hayya ‘alal falah

Allahu Akbar

Allahu Akbar

La ilaha illal lah (There is no deity but Allah) (Guided Ones)

I chose to research azan because I was unfamiliar with the word when I came across it in The Kite Runner. Amir is remembering when he and Hassan would play marbles all day until the even azan, and they would be called inside (354). It was interesting to learn about a small aspect of Islam. Many religions do not have specific times when they are called to prayer; most Christian religions promote prayer at any time. However, it seems that the Muslim religion has many times set apart for prayer, and many are done in large groups of people.

 

Shorwa

Auzrah. “Shorwa.” Wikimedia Commons. 16 Jan. 2014. Digital Image. 20 Apr. 2016. 

Shorwa is a traditional Afghan soup. The word “shorwa” is Pashto for “soup”. The dish incorporates potatoes and other vegetables, and often has beans and a type of meat (Wikipedia). However, there is also a vegetarian version of shorwa (Shorwa-E-Piawa). It can take anywhere from 45 minutes (Shorwa-E-Piawa) to over 2 hours (Shorwa-E-Tarkari) to prepare this type of soup. No matter how the shorwa is prepared, it is always serve with or over fresh naan (Shorwa-E-Takari).

I chose to research shorwa because I was unfamiliar with the word when I came across it. In The Kite Runner, this is the meal that Farzana, Hassan’s wife, prepares for Rahim Khan when he goes to visit them (206). They ate the soup with fresh naan, as I found in my research. However, in the description of the shorwa, there is no mention of meat, as there usually is in this soup. This is most likely due to the prices of meat rising after the Taliban took control. It was interesting to learn about this traditional dish from another country.

Works Cited

Nash. “Shorwa-E-Piawa (Potato Soup) | Afghan Kitchen Recipes.” Shorwa-E-Piawa (Potato Soup) | Afghan Kitchen Recipes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

Nash. “Shorwa-E-Tarkari (Meat & Veg Soup) | Afghan Kitchen Recipes.”Shorwa-E-Tarkari (Meat & Veg Soup) | Afghan Kitchen Recipes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

“Shorwa.” – Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

Shirini-khori

Grant. “Engagement.” Flickr. 4 July 2009. Digital Image. 13 Apr. 2016. 

Shirini-khori is a traditional ceremony in Afghanistan. It takes place after the groom’s family has accepted the daughter who is to marry their son (A Family Matter). The ceremony is paid for by the bride’s family (The Right Angle). Similar to a small engagement party, friends and family will gather to form a sort of “contract” between the two families. After the ceremony, the couple will go through an engagement period: this is the time when they will get to know each other better and decide if they are compatible (A Family Matter). Following that is the wedding ceremony. 

I chose this topic because I didn’t know what shirini-khori was at first. I wanted to learn more about the tradition and how it works. In The Kite Runner, Amir and Soraya do not have a shirini-khori or an engagement period due to Baba’s failing health. They decide to get married as soon as possible.

Works Cited

“A Family Matter, Part I.” Afghan Womens Writing Project. N.p., 15 May 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

“Getting To Know Afghanistan.” The Right Angle. N.p., 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

Ahmad Zahir

Larry Ziffle. “Fender Guitar 26.” Flickr. 10 July 2012. Digital Image. 10 Apr. 2016. 

Ahmad Zahir was born on June 14, 1946 in Kabul, Afghanistan (Afghanistan Online). He showed interest in music from a young age, and played the accordion and sang in a band with his classmates. He attended a Teachers’ College after high school, but then decided that music was his true calling (Wikipedia). Much of his music was based off of Persian poems, and he recorded over 30 albums (Afghanistan Online). He also earned the title of “Afghan Star Elvis,” due to their similar style of music and hairstyles (Wikipedia). Zahir died in a car crash on June 14, 1979, exactly 33 years after his birth (Last.fm). However, there is some controversy surrounding his death. Some people believe that he was assassinated by the Communists, due to his beliefs opposing theirs (Afghanistan Online). His music is still popular in many middle-eastern countries today.

I chose to research Ahmad Zahir because of Khaled Hosseini’s description of his music in The Kite Runner: “… and the music of Ahmad Zahir blaring from cassette players. The immensely popular Ahmad Zahir had revolutionized Afghan music and outraged the purists by adding electric guitars, drums, and horns to the traditional tabla and harmonium…”. As a music lover, this description was very intriguing to me. I listen to music from just about every time period; on my iPod and Spotify playlists, you’ll find artists such as Glenn Miller, Janis Joplin, and Queen (to name a few of my favorites). Listening to such a wide variety of music has allowed me to hear how music changed from generation to generation. It is interesting to know that music has changed so much in other countries as well.

Works Cited

“Ahmad Zahir.” Afghanistan Online: Biography (). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

“Ahmad Zahir.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

“Last.fm.” Ahmad Zahir’s Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Bamiyan Valley

plb06. “Afghanistan 1975 – Bamiyan.” Flickr. 3 February 2015. Digital Image. 5 April 2016.

Bamiyan is located in the valleys of the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan (UNESCO). Carved into the sides of the cliffs are two giant Buddha statues. They were both built in the 6th century when the Bamiyan Valley was a major Buddhist holy site (Behzad). Along with being a religious center, the Shahr-i Ghulghulah fortress, located in the center of the valley, was once a stopping place on the Silk Route (UNESCO). However, in March of 2001, the Taliban planted explosives in the statues and destroyed them (UNESCO). Due to the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the spectacular monuments, 3D lights have been set up to project images of Buddha where the original statues were (Davy).

I chose to research this topic because in The Kite Runner, Amir refers to Bamiyan as “the city of the giant Buddha statues.” The phrase was very intriguing to me. The site is filled with some of the history of Afghanistan, and it was interesting to learn about. Since the valley used to be a Buddhist religious center, it would be interesting to learn how that ended if I were to do further investigation.

Works Cited

“Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley.” – UNESCO World Heritage Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

Behzad, Nasir, and Daud Qarizadah. “The Man Who Helped Blow up the Bamiyan Buddhas – BBC News.” BBC News. N.p., 12 Mar. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

Davy, Steven. “They Were Destroyed by the Taliban. But Now the Giant Buddha Statues of Bamiyan Have Returned with 3-D Light Projection.”PRI. N.p., 11 June 2015. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.

Ways To Leave A Legacy

F451 Quote: Granger stood looking back with Montag. “Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you’re there. It doesn’t matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who cuts your lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime. Said by Granger pg. 158-159

Nonfiction Connection: Astor, Bart. “4 Smart Ways To Leave A Legacy.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.

Vicki Nunn. “Hands Holding1.” 2010 via Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain

Granger’s comment about his grandfather’s legacy that he left made me think of the legacies that we leave behind today. In Bart Astor’s “4 Smart Ways To Leave A Legacy”, published on Forbes, examples of ways to leave a legacy are listed. The first way to leave a legacy is to “Provide a family history.” Astor advocates for tracking your genealogy, or your family tree. Websites such as Ancestry.com allow people to find their family trees, and also to add to their own. One can add themselves to the tree, and also their origins, experiences, and relationships with other family members. Then, future family members can do the same, and see your legacy. The next way to leave a legacy is to “Give to charity.” Giving money to your charity or organization of choice allows children, grandchildren, and other family members to witness your generosity. After you pass away, those close to you will likely remember your willingness to donate. The article continues goes on to say that to “Write a legacy letter” is another way to leave a legacy. A legacy letter is defined as “a way to speak directly to your loved ones and say all those things you wish you had told them earlier.” As you live on in people’s memories, they can live on know and remembering what you thought of them. The final way to leave a legacy is to “Prepare an ethical will.” An ethical will, as opposed to a normal will, can explain life experiences, life lessons, the reasons for why certain possessions went to certain people, and many other things. Similar to the legacy letter, it allows your values to live on after you have died.

All of those ways to leave a legacy seem to have something in common: they all either add to something or create something. As society advances with its technology, you see less and less generosity, letter writing, and even ethics. People are becoming more selfish, which affects our legacies. I know that I don’t want to be remembered for doing nothing all day, only playing games and watching TV. I want to be remembered for doing something that I love or that I’m passionate about! I want my future children to remember me by the contributions I’ll make to my career, or the future mission work that I’ll do. Some of us have become too wrapped up in our own little worlds to be able to be remembered for things such as those. Do you want your children and grandchildren to remember you as a lazy, selfish slob, or someone who’s made a contribution to society? In Fahrenheit 451, people have become more like the latter. They focus on their televisions and their seashells and their fast cars. They are remembered for nothing. However, Granger’s grandfather had a different idea. He knew that in order to be truly remembered, one must make some contribution to something important to them. Even if you plant one flower, or donate money once, someone will remember you for that.

Increasing Youth Violence

F451 Quote: “He looked down the boulevard. It was clear now. A carful of children all ages, God knew, from twelve to sixteen, whistling, yelling, hurrahing, had seen a man, a very extraordinary sight, a man strolling, a rarity, and simply said, ‘Let’s get him,’ not knowing he was the fugitive Mr. Montag, simply a number of children out for a long night of roaring five or six hundred miles in a few moonlit hours, their faces icy with wind, and coming home or not coming at dawn, alive or not alive, that made the adventure.” Said by the narrator pg. 130

Nonfiction Connection: “Does Game Violence Make Teens Aggressive?” Msnbc.com. N.p., 08 Dec. 2006. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Maico Amorim. “Video game controller icon designed by Maico Amorim.” 2013 video Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain

Montag’s experience with the reckless teenagers made me think of how violence is increasing in youth today. NBC News wrote an article, “Does game violence make teens aggressive?”, about this very topic. The article speaks of a study done at Indiana University School of Medicine, which allowed 44 children to play a video game: half playing a violent game, and the other half playing a violent, first-person shooter game for 30 minutes. Each of the youth had their brains scan after they played the games. The scans showed that the subjects that played the violent game had increased emotional arousal, and decreased self-control, inhibition, and attention. These effects were not shown in those who played the nonviolent game. The article also includes many accounts of parents with video game playing children. The majority of them advocate neither for or against violent games, but also for awareness of what their children are playing.

Evidence of increased violence in youth can also be observed in Fahrenheit 451. The teens of that time are nearly killing people with cars, purposefully hitting animals, and there are even parks solely dedicated to destruction. All of these are their idea of fun. Why are they so violent? Looking at studies today, we could conclude that it is due to the increase and overuse of technology. The violent games and television shows that impressionable children are watching, only encourage them to behave in that manner. My 14 year old brother often tells me about games that he plays where the object is to drive a bus through a town and destroy as much as possible and things or that nature. I will admit, they are fun at times, and incredibly funny to watch, but why is it that our society has come to think that destruction is entertaining? How long will it take for us to drive real cars and buses through towns destroying everything in our path? The world may never know, but I’m not sure that I want to find out in the first place.

What is “freedom”?

“But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority. Oh God, the terrible tyranny of the majority. We all have our harps to play. And it’s up to you now to know with which ear you’ll listen.” Said by Faber pg. 110-111

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/janisjoplin/mebobbymcgee.html

 

Connection: Miller, Roger. Me and Bobby McGee. Roger Miller. Jerry Kennedy, 1969. MP3.

Samurai. “Tallinn-Narva maantee.” n.d. via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license 

What does it really mean to be free? Roger Miller’s Me and Bobby McGee gives excellent explanations of what freedom really is. Written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, and most memorably performed by Janis Joplin, the song tells of two roadside travelers headed towards New Orleans. Both have little to nothing more than the clothes on their backs. The song continues to tell of the bond between the two, but also how Bobby McGee abandons the narrator in order to establish a “normal” life in Salinas, California. However, the most memorable lyric from the tune is “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” This one line sums up almost the entire song. Both travelers truly only had each other. They had nothing to lose but each other. When the two decided to leave their normal lives, they finally acquired freedom.

Until we, as a society, can learn to not jump on the bandwagon so easily, we cannot acquire true freedom. Straying from the social norms, “Me” and “Bobby McGee” were able to feel what true freedom is like. In today’s society, we often choose the side of the majority. Sometimes it’s in order to not feel left out, other times it’s because we can’t or just don’t want to make up our minds. Eventually, we may even become brainwashed band-wagoners who lack the capability to think for themselves at all. That is exactly what has happened in Fahrenheit 451. No one questioned the things that they were reading or being told to do. They just went with it, and they thought that they were happy and free. No one in that society is free, because instead of having “nothing left to lose,” they have everything to lose.

1 Like=1 Prayer

F451 Quote: Is it because we’re having so much fun at home we’ve forgotten the world? Is it because we’re so rich and the rest of the world’s so poor and we just don’t care if they are? I’ve heard rumors; the world is starving, but we’re all well fed. Is it true, the world works hard and we play? Is that why we’re hated so much? I’ve heard the rumors about hate, too, once in a long while, over the years. Do you know why? I don’t, that’s sure! Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes! I don’t hear those idiot bastards in your parlor talking about it. God, Millie, don’t you see? An hour a day, two hours, with these books, and maybe…” Said by Montag pg. 75-76

Nonfiction Connection: “Does 1 “Like” Really Equal 1 Punch or 1 Prayer?” Wafflesatnoon.com. N.p., 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

Veluben. “Facebook-logo-thumbs-up.” August 2, 2013 via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Montag’s comment about how closed off his society has become to the outside world made me think of the social media trend “1 like=1 prayer”. In the Waffles At Noon article “Does One ‘Like’ Really Equal 1 Punch or 1 Prayer,” the author discusses this very trend. The author mentions an Eminem fan page that posted one of these 1 like=1 blank photos. As he continued to look at the fan page, he noticed that none of the posts had anything to do with Eminem. Shouldn’t most, if not all, of the posts be about Eminem, considering it’s an Eminem fan page? The author then continues to explain that the page was set up for like bait and no other purpose. Also listed are more examples of like and share bait, including 1 like = 100 prayers, 1 like = 1 punch, 1 share = 1000 prayers, and 1 share = 1 kick + punch. The article then advocates for the fact the these likes that you give these photos do nothing but support the page that posted them. They don’t feed hungry children, they don’t donate money to organizations, and they don’t bring back the lives of those lost. The article closes with the question, “If someone you loved was involved in a tragedy, would you want an Eminem fan page to use photos of the event to gain likes?”

When we go through our Facebook and Twitter feeds each day, how often do we really think about what we’re liking and sharing? I know when I scroll through my social media feeds, I typically see a cat video, and instantly share it without even watching the entire video. As social media has grown, we have all begun to do that. We see one of the aforementioned 1 like = 1 prayer photos, this one in particular gives prayers to starving children. The photo is of a small boy, probably living in some third world country, and you can see every one of his ribs. Most people’s’ instinct is to feel that half second of sympathy as they hit the like button, and continue on with their cat videos. But how many people actually continue to think about the starving child in the photo? How many people actually, I don’t know, close out of Facebook and do something about it? Donate money, pray about it, adopt a pet. We shouldn’t expect our 1 out of 45,000 likes to do those things for us. As we continue to take the like bait, we lose touch with the problems that are actually happening around us. Eventually, we may even completely forget about everything but our cat videos. This is what Montag struggles with in Fahrenheit 451. His society has become so disconnected from all issues outside of their own, that starvation is only a rumor. As his wife watches television with her friends, she couldn’t care less about other countries. She has her food, her fun, her “friends”. How long will it take us to get to that point?