What is sexism? Does sexism even exist? These questions are commonly asked by students and adults as this particular topic has seemingly escaped the awareness of most. Sexism is often the discrimination of women and/or the favoritism of men. It is surprisingly widespread and incredibly real in society. For example, sexism in Arab and Islamic countries, such as Afghanistan, is rampant and, unfortunately, not under control. Extremists believe that sexism is simply a figment of the accuser's imagination and extremists see the way they treat women as a necessity and something that must be adhered to. (Khaled Hosseini, 2007) Therefore, pass on this forgetfulness to the now ignorant citizens of the world. Despite this epidemic of sexism, Islamic women who fall victim to this ridiculous and frivolous injustice somehow find the motivation and silent strength to carry on. Books such as A Thousand Splendid Suns and other literary pieces such as the poem “The Threshold of Silence” not only address sexism in Afghanistan and clarify its existence, but also illustrate the inner strength that Afghan women have as a result of it. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, discrimination against women is clearly represented under different aspects: social inequality, forced isolation and domestic violence. For example, her A Thousand Splendid Suns co-star Mariam grew up in Herat, Afghanistan, with her mother's axiom ever present in her consciousness: "Like a compass needle pointing north, the finger accuser of a man always finds a woman". (Hosseini 7) This accurately demonstrates that sexism is present because men consistently find themselves too proud and superior to have any consequences for those…paper faces, allowing them to digest discrepancies and move forward with even the slightest will. But despite this admirable desire, the awareness and meaning of female discrimination remains skewed due to the fear Afghan women feel for their superiors and their respective consequences. In essence, they fear cruel and unnecessary consequences much more than their desires and ambitions. Laila from A Thousand Splendid Suns is also aware that “all [she] can do is hope and move forward” (Hosseini 411). In conclusion, sexism is incontrovertibly real and “just because it's not [you], doesn't make it go away”; (Neesha Room 10) firmly exists. Works Cited Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York City: Penguin Group Inc., 2007.Neesha. "The threshold of silence." Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan. April 16 2009. .