Once the Soviet Union left Afghanistan a battle for the leader of the country began. First Afghanistan was divided into territories with warlords leading each territory. Then the people of Afghanistan saw that the Taliban could clean up the corruption, restore peace, and allow commerce to resume.

“The Taliban, under the direction of Mullah Muhammad Omar, brought about this order through the institution of a very strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. Public executions and punishments became regular events at Afghan soccer stadiums. Frivolous activities, like kite flying, were outlawed. In order to root out "non-Islamic" influence, television, music, and the Internet were banned.”(Taliban) The Taliban were trying to keep their country a strictly Islamic religion country.

Two people usually flew these kites; most Afghani people looked at it as an art form or a sport. “These kites or Gudiparan (literally meaning flying doll) as it's called in Afghanistan, came in different sizes - from smallest which was only about 10-12 inches in diameter to largest which was human size - Mahi gec, nim takhtai, se parcha, panj parcha, shesh parcha and the famous humongous haft parcha or simply "haft". The shape was mostly conserved throughout the family of Kites. They were all made of thin paper and the skeleton supported by bamboo wood, investing on its malleability and flexibility.”(The Art)

The object of kite fighting is to sever your opponents kite line so he loses his kite; having the line coated with a mixture of ground glass and glue does this. You position your kite so that your line will sever the opponents line without taking down or losing your kite. “Afghan kite fighting often depends on the quality of the wire, or string, and how it is prepared. First, glass is finely ground and combined with an adhesive to make a thick paste. The wire is then coated with this paste to make it strong and sharp. After drying, the wire is wound around the spool. Kite fighters often wrap a piece of leather around their fingers to protect themselves from the taut wire, which can easily cut to the bone. When an opponent’s kite is cut free, it flutters away into the far reaches of the city. Such kites are said to be “azadi rawest,” or “free and legal,” and can be retrieved by neighborhood children to fly another day. Each neighborhood also crowns its own “sharti,” or kite-fighting champion.”(National)

The Taliban tried to ban Kite Fighting in Afghanistan for a while but the Afghani people would not let go of something, which is there culture. The Afghani people would hold kite-fighting competitions in winter because of the high winds and schools being closed because of the cold.

Once the Taliban moved out kite fighting resumed, now if you travel over to Afghanistan in Kabul City you will see kites flying high above the city. One of the pastimes of the Afghani culture has been returned and you can tell by the highflying kites over Kabul.

Works Cited

"Afghanistan: Artistry In The Air -- Kite Flying Is Taken To New Heights - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty." Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty - Free Media in Unfree Societies. Web. 02 Dec. 2009. <http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1101400.html.

Afghan Appeal Fund. Web. 02 Dec. 2009. <http://afghanappealfund.org.uk/?page_id=28>.

"The Art of Gudiparan bazi - Afghan Kite Flying." Afghanistan Directory. Web. 02 Dec. 2009. <http://www.afghana.com/Entertainment/Gudiparanbazi.htm>.

"NGM.com." National Geographic Magazine. Web. 02 Dec. 2009. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Hazara_People.>

"The Taliban Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. Infoplease.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2009. <http://www.infoplease.com/spot/taliban.html>.

By: Taylor Cesarz