Who among us really knew Afghanistan beyond the media images we saw in the 1990s? Who understands it any better today?

Several major cultural works are currently shedding light on an Afghanistan we rarely glimpse in our media. The increase of Afghan-themed books, film, music and even some toys point to a rising curiosity about the Afghan people and their rich culture. (see links, below)

The studio premiere of “The Kite Runner” -- the big screen version of the best-selling novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini -- took place in November followed by a gala event featuring the exotic music of Omar Akram, who performed pieces from his new album “Secret Journey” (Real Music). The film rolls out across the country this week, sure to attract audiences throughout the holiday season who are both familiar and unfamiliar with the book. The physical hardships and moral dilemnas raised in the film are sure to cause some viewers discomfort, but, if the film is true to the book, then universal themes of redemption and forgiveness will shine above all other emotions.

The media and military focus on strife in modern-day Afghanistan has overshadowed this country’s fascinating culture and people. Hosseini followed “The Kite Runner” with a book about women’s lives in Afghanistan over the last thirty years in “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” It is in this novel that one gets the best sense of the tremendous spirit of the Afghan people, especially the women, in their desperate determination to preserve their families and to improve their lives in the face of grave danger.

What really shines through in both of Hosseini’s tales is the Afghan people’s hopeful spirit, their deep love of the land and the rich ancient culture that existed long before warfare and politics riddled the roadsides with the landmines there today. A large part of their spirit is exhibited in their will to return home from neighboring countries, and to rebuild their communities. Already, since 2002, 4 million of the 6 million refugees who previously fled across the borders have returned to resettle their homes, a testimony to their resilience and hope for the future, according to the UNHCR. Tireless organizations like UNHCR are credited with helping Afghans return and rebuild, but there is still much to be done to restore homes and families.

Certainly, the release of “The Kite Runner” film will spread greater awareness of Afghanistan’s rich cultural tapestry, and perhaps, inspire greater assistance and understanding. Interest is already building, as shown by Omar Akram’s latest CD release “Secret Journey,” which is currently climbing the music charts. It is a masterfully-composed New Age/world tribute from a modern American citizen of Afghan heritage, blending influences from places he has lived around the world.

One can also find traditional Afghan music more easily today, as well as books on Afghan cuisine, the custom of kite fighting, ancient poetry and fine art. While many of Afghanistan’s great sculptures have been destroyed by recent warfare, they are worth remembering in books and pictures. Poetry has always played a large role in Afghan children’s education, and there is evidence that Mawlana Rumi – perhaps the region’s most famous poet, commonly referred to as “Rumi” – was born and educated in the ancient Balkh region before moving to Turkey as a young man in the Fifteenth Century. And in the Tenth Century, Balkh was also home to Rabi’a Balkhi, the first poetess in the History of Persian Poetry.

Ironically – in “modern” days -- there were several periods over the past thirty years during which classic poetry was the only education allowed for girls and women. Perhaps someday we’ll see a film based on “The Golden Needle Sewing School” which – during Taliban rule -- women attended several times weekly pretending to sew, while they were actually hearing lectures and studying world literature.

More and more journalistic-style books emerge everyday, telling tales of travel, perseverance and homesickness for a land torn by war…and every single one of them attests to the indomitable spirit of the Afghan people. For the sake of Afghanistan and its children – many of them orphaned – we must believe, as does one of Hosseini’s most noble characters, that “We can all be good again.”

For a concise overview of Afghanistan’s history, politics and culture, also visit the WikipediaWikipedia page on Afghanistan.