Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan - Hardcover

Sima Samar; Sally Armstrong

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 086356898X ISBN 13: 9780863568985

Publisher: Saqi Books, 2024

Synopsis

‘I have three strikes against me. I am a woman, I speak out for women and I’m Hazara, the most persecuted ethnic group in Afghanistan.’

Sima Samar has been fighting for equality and justice all her life. Born into a polygamous family, she learned early that girls had inferior status and had to agree to an arranged marriage to go to university. By the time she was in medical school, she was both a mother and a revolutionary. Samar’s work as a doctor for those most desperate for help – namely women in far flung, mountainous regions – put her in grave personal danger. After her husband was disappeared by the pro-Russian regime, she faced a choice: accept the injustices she saw around her or keep driving for a better Afghanistan.

Despite numerous death threats and decades of catastrophic warfare, Samar has worked tirelessly for the dream she is convinced is achievable: justice and human rights for all citizens of Afghanistan. From selling her own hand-embroidered bed quilt to pay for her education to becoming Minister of Women’s Affairs and thorn in the side of the Taliban, Samar has witnessed the internal and international political failures that have engulfed her country at every level.

In this poignant and inspiring memoir – the first inside story of Afghanistan by a woman – Samar provides an unparalleled view of her country’s past, present and fragile future.

About this title

About the Author

Sima Samar is an Afghan doctor, human rights activist and advocate for women’s rights. She founded the Shuhada Organization and served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Women’s Affairs and as Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Her work has been recognised with numerous international honours, including the Right Livelihood Award, the Profile in Courage Award and the Ms. Magazine Women of the Year Award. She is currently a Visiting Scholar and Fellow at Tufts University.

Sally Armstrong is an award-winning journalist, human rights advocate and bestselling author. She was among the first journalists to bring international attention to the lives and experiences of women in Afghanistan. A four-time winner of the Amnesty International Canada Media Award, she has received eleven honorary doctorates and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Edition details

• Publisher: Saqi Books
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 086356898X
• ISBN 13: 9780863568985
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352