Kamal is a character in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Kamal is Hassan’s son and Amir’s half-brother. He was born in a relationship between Hassan and Rahima Khanum, who was still married to her first husband at the time. Kamal is only seven years old when his mother dies and he moves in with Baba and Ali, but he quickly forms a close bond with Hassan’s legitimate son, Sohrab. The two are often seen together and they are referenced as being so close that people assume they are brothers. Kamal is a student at Kabul University, where he studies business administration. He has an interest in music and joins the Afghan National Soccer team, where he plays alongside Sohrab.
Kamal eventually becomes engaged with Soraya Taheri, who has been damaged by the Soviet invasion and subsequent fighting in Afghanistan. She has been raped multiple times and her nose has been broken. After an attack by Waris Khan forces her to flee from her home, she stays with Baba and Ali in their new compound for a short time before moving into Hassan’s house, where she lives with him, Sohrab, and Hossein until the house is attacked during the riots following the Soviet withdrawal. Kamal loves his family deeply and does everything he can to support them.
