Religion

The Kite Runner deals heavily with the religion of Islam and it's various sects. Tensions arise, enemies are made, and people are judged based on their interpretation of the Qu'ran. On one hand: the Shi'ah. On the other: the Sunni. While the names themselves may be familiar from the nightly news, the meaning behind them is complex. While, without reading the Qu'ran, it is difficult to grasp the finer points of Islam, one can still become familiar with the terms.

Found here is a brief summary of the basic beliefs of Islam. Within Islam, however, there still remains the reality of the warring sects. What is the separating factor when these groups believe in the same holy book?

The Sunni branch of Islam is the largest denomination of Islam in the world. They are the orthodox branch, and have very specific interpertations of the Madh'hab (schools of thought).

The Shi'a branch of Islam is much smaller in number yet remains the second-largest sect. Their primary beliefs differ from Sunni in that they believe that Imams (The Prophet Muhammad's descendants) should, by divine right, hold greater power in the Islamic religion. They believe the first of these Imams to be Ali, Muhammad's cousin.

There are other sects within the religion of Islam, but the two largest branches are most important in understanding the text. If you are interested to learn more, this site has a wealth of resources, answered questions, and articles to study.