The country of Afghanistan has banned both the import and exhibition of “The Kite Runner”, a film based on the book by Khaled Hosseini that tells the story of a troubled friendship of two Afghan boys. Afghanistan has banned the film on the grounds that it could incite violence.

Before the movie debut, the studio behind the film, Paramount Vantage, had to get its three young stars out of Afghanistan (their homeland) to protect them from a possible backlash. The film was finally released last month after numerous delays due to the extraordinary precautions to address the concerns about the film’s depiction of one boy’s rape and other scenes of conflict between members of Pashtun and Hazara tribes.

“The Kite Runner” explores Afghan society over the span of three decades – from before the Soviet invasion to the rise of the Taliban. Through this, the film focuses on the friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy Pashtun, and Hassan, the Hazara son of Amir’s father’s servant. In one of the scenes in the film, Hassan is raped in an alley by a Pashtun bully, and a third character, Sohrab, is later forced to perform and erotic dance by a corrupt Taliban official

The father of the boy who plays Hassan has said in interviews with the press that he was not informed of the rape scene until just before it was shot. However, producers dispute this, saying that he was told about the scene well in advance and had consented. In Afghan society, the rape scene is considered inflammatory and anti-Islamic.

Latif Ahmadi, head of state-run Afghan Film said, “On the basis of the instruction of the Information and Culture Ministry, the ‘Kite Runner’ film’s depiction and import has been banned. [The film has been banned] because some of its scenes are questionable and unacceptable for some people and would cause sensitiveness and would cause trouble for the government and people.”