In the book The Kite Runner, Assef plays a key role throughout the story and can be compared to the modern. day Taliban in Afghanistan. He is a very mean-spirited person who believes Pashtuns are on top while Hazaras are nothing but garbage. Many of Assef's beliefs and thoughts reflect those of the Taliban. Even today, many executions take place at Afghan soccer stadiums like the one Amir watched in the novel. The Taliban introduced a revolutionary Muslim culture. In the novel, many modern day Taliban rules were incorporated such as men keeping beards at a certain length.