Omid Bidar

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Latest posts by Omid Bidar

“Women Can Change Afghanistan”: Interview with Noorjahan Akbar

  1 May 2013

Noorjahan Akbar, 22, is an Afghan women's rights activist and a prolific blogger. She believes that there has been a lot of positive change for women's rights in Afghanistan over the last decade. She also believes that social media serve as an important avenue for Afghan women to highlight their plight.

Pakistan's Hazara Shias Demand Arrests, Protection After Deadly Bombing

  18 February 2013

In the latest attack against Pakistan's Hazara Shia minority, a bomb ripped through a busy market in the southwestern city of Quetta in Pakistan on February 16, claiming as many as 63 people and injuring 180 others. Many have accused the government of inaction, demanding that authorities step in and put an end to the mass killings.

Why Death for Distributing Polio Vaccine in Pakistan?

  31 January 2013

Aid workers administering polio vaccination projects across Pakistan are increasingly coming under attack from Islamist militants. While some Pakistanis accuse humanitarian organizations of spying on behalf of the United States, many employees remain determined to stay in the country.

Most Corrupt Country Award Goes to Afghanistan

  14 December 2012

Afghanistan ranks as the world's most corrupt country in the latest survey by a global corruption watchdog. The release of the survey triggered a wave of anti-corruption rallies across the war-torn country. In Bamyan, civil society activists awarded an effigy of Afghan president with the 'Most Corrupt Country Cup'.

Afghanistan: Girl's Murder Sparks Anger and Protests

  6 August 2012

Shakila, a 16-year-old girl, was reportedly raped and murdered by a powerful politician in Afghanistan's Bamyan province some six months ago. Although the politician's supporters claim that Shakila took her own life, activists and netizens believe that the strongman is misleading the investigation and urge the authorities to ensure that he does not go unpunished.

Afghanistan: Adultery Execution Video Sparks Outrage

A 22-year-old Afghan woman was recently executed publicly for alleged adultery in a small village not far from the capital Kabul. Her killing has sparked outrage both in the country and abroad. In Kabul, women took to the streets to condemn the murder and demand protection for their rights.

Sharing Photos of the Afghanistan You Never See

Most media covering developments in Afghanistan carry terrifying images. Through their lens, Afghanistan is presented as a country drowning in the waves of violence and militancy. A number of photographers help people to see the war-torn but beautiful country from a different perspective.

Pakistan: RIP Ghazal Legend Mehdi Hassan

  15 June 2012

Mehdi Hassan Khan also famously known as the ‘King of Ghazal’ passed away on Wednesday, 13, June, 2012 after a protracted illness, in a local hospital in Karachi city of Pakistan. Netizens pay their tribute.

Afghanistan's First Computer-Animated Movie

  14 June 2012

Leaving the three decades of war and destruction behind, Afghans make use of modern technology and media to rebuild the country and raise new generations with a brighter vision for the future. ‘Buz-e-Chini‘ (Goat) is the country's first ever 3D computer-animated short film.

Afghanistan: Girls Poisoned for Attending School

Although a ban on education for girls and women in Afghanistan was lifted after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, female students continue being targeted by fundamentalists for attending school. In a recent string of attacks in the northeastern Afghan province of Takhar, hundreds of girls were poisoned at their schools.

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