Heard in Afghanistan: Did the Taliban Lose the Election?

Did the Taliban Lose the Elections?

August 21 – The Taliban warned for days that voters' ink-stained fingers would be chopped off as punishment for participating in Afghanistan's August 20 elections. But millions of Afghans took the risk anyway. Radio Azadi's Abubakar Siddique finds out whether the election revealed the weakness of the Taliban. [Read in English] 

Dressed as a Man, Afghan Woman Hits the Campaign Trail

August 19 – Akmina, a woman from Afghanistan's volatile and deeply conservative Khost Province, contends with more than the typical challenges facing a candidate for political office. Due to safety concerns, she wears men's clothing and carries a Kalashnikov while on the campaign trail. She is one of 323 women throughout Afghanistan defying Taliban threats and challenging tradition by running for a seat on a provincial council. [Read more in English]

American Families’ Donations Help Orphaned Afghan Girl

August 22 – Zahra is the only survivor of a family of nine, her relatives having perished in a U.S. air strike in the eastern Afghan province of Heart earlier this year. Following U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s appearance on a Radio Azadi talk show, American families learned of the 10-year-old orphan's plight and sent donations to help ease her pain. [Read more in Dari]