by Niala Mohammad Though she refuses comment on her family or ethnic ties, one thing is irrefutable; she is the daughter of Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani. She is as intelligent as her father and as poised as her mother but one thing sets her apart-she is stingy with words but generous with her work to […]
The First Daughter of Afghanistan-Mariam Ghani
Tamim Ansary – An Exemplary Afghan-American
by Niala Mohammad I arrived at a bright red house, situated on a steep road that overlooked the dusty mountains surrounding the unique city of San Francisco. A man with East Asian features, a head full of white hair in a bob cut, a whisky beard, small framed glasses, an orange shirt and suspenders answered […]
Nazia Parveen, FATA’s First Female Athlete
Written by Niala Mohammad and Wagma Jalawan “Don’t Think Just Because You are a Girl You Can’t do Something.” This tenacious tribalite has done more than climb rocks. She has challenged the cultural norms of a society where women are hidden in the shadows of men. Her goal is to win an Olympic gold medal […]
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa: From Tobacco to Lethal Addictions
By Niala Mohammad and Wagma Jalawan According to a recent UNDOC survey conducted in Pakistan, 5.8% or 6.45 million people of the population in Pakistan between the ages of 15 and 64 use drugs. The thought of a third world country and its people entrenched in war, terrorism and poverty almost justifies these staggering statistics […]
The US-Taliban Prisoner Swap
by Niala Mohammad On May 31st, 2014 the US-Taliban prisoner swap took place, just weeks after President Barack Obama announced his withdrawal strategy from Afghanistan. Reactions about the prisoner exchange have been mixed. Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the Middle East Institute told Deewa Radio that although Americans applaud the release of […]
Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest with Carlotta Gall
by Niala Mohammad Whether you agree with Carlotta Gall or believe that her claims are parallel to a script from a Bollywood movie, Carlotta Gall is not fazed. Carlotta herself says she is ready for the media and Pakistani government to “totally trash” her but first she wants to put her book, The Wrong Enemy: […]