Delighted to present the UK-Canada Media Freedom Award alongside @melaniejoly to Amu TV.
The prize was accepted on behalf of independent media organisations in Afghanistan, committed to reporting against the rollback of rights including for women and girls.
Thanks for this wonderful work dear @SuliemanHedayat and paying tribute to the best of our generation who stood against the Talibani terrorism and believed in freedom.
What a beautiful and much deserved tribute to the fallen messengers of just peace and democracy: our courageous journalists, who have never faltered to tell the story of our suffering people and their yearning for freedom from fear and want! Congratulations, @SuliemanHedayat!
Thank you my friend for putting the idea of doing something for AmuTV that resulted in this piece. It was hard writing all those names of lost souls, dreams, aspirations and hopes of a free country.
In this masterpiece of artwork, @SuliemanHedayat illustrates names of fallen journalists in Afghanistan in the past two decades. Thank you my friend for the powerful addition to @AmuTelevision's newsroom on our launch day. An important daily reminder for us all!
Today, marks the second day of the Solar New Year, a day when Afghanistan has traditionally opened its schools to all students. However, for the second year in a row, girls are being denied access to education – making Afghanistan the only country in the world where girls are not permitted to attend school.
As history shows, tyranny and totalitarian regimes won’t last.
Hafiz reminds us: “Arrived the glad tidings that grief’s time, shall not remain…”
رسید مژده که ایام غم نخواهد ماند
چنان نماند چنین هم نخواهد ماند
غنیمتی شمر ای شمع وصل پروانه
که این معامله تا صبحدم نخواهد ماند
ز مهربانی جانان طمع مبر حافظ
که نقش جور و نشان ستم نخواهد ماند
#EducationForGirls
#EndTyranny
#SaveAfghanistan
Photo: @MuzafAli
Calligraphy: @SuliemanHedayat
Music: @HajipourShervin
I write about food security in Afghanistan. With the #COVID19#pandemic, drought, and economic hardships combined with an uncertain future with the current rulers of #Afghanistan, the Afghans are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
https://t.co/tNxTqNBFlr via @orfonline
The #COVID19#pandemic, drought, and economic hardships combined with an uncertain future with the current rulers of #Afghanistan, the Afghans are stuck between a rock and a hard place, avers @SuliemanHedayat.
https://t.co/Z1Ijhi4FhT
Looking at the situation in Afghanistan right now, what would be one thing you would do differently?
What would be your critical view of yourself now that you no longer have the same power, influence or privilege?
@bghayward The situation is more than awful in Afghaniatan at this anniversary Ben. The World has abandoned the people, and despite all the social media outcry, it has turned a blind eye to what’s happening.
The @POTUS gift on the 20th anniversary of #September11
American service members killed in #Afghanistan: 2,448.
U.S. contractors: 3,846.
Afghan military/police: 66,000.
Other allies/NATO member states: 1,144.
Afghan civilians: 47,245.
#Taliban/other opposition fighters: 51,191.