Interviews

Women “have no sense of direction,” “are bad at math,” “spend too much money” and “are hysterical” and “more delicate” than their male counterparts. So many sexist stereotypes still exist in French society. Where did all of these dated clichés that devalue women come from? We sat down with French historian Muriel Salle, an expert in stereotypes, to find out.
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Brigitte Studer is a historian and professor emeritus of history at the University of Bern. She is internationally renowned for her expertise on women's rights and communism. Guillaume Perret / Lundi 13 for Le Temps
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Interview by Haanya Malik, Hasht-e Subh As we mark International Women’s Day on March 8, Afghan women remain deprived of their basic citizenship and human rights. The Taliban have banned girls from middle school, high school and universities, as well as barred women from most fields of employment. Women must also wear head-to-toe clothing in public and aren’t allowed in parks and gyms. Despite…
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Afrasiab Khattak, a political activist and expert on international affairs, is one of the most important political figures in Pakistan. In his perspective, the Taliban's goal is to obliterate Afghanistan's ancient heritage as well as its political system and governance. According to Mr. Khattak, by releasing the Taliban, Pakistan is emulating the British Empire and regards Afghanistan as a state…
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Dr. Kawa Jobran, a poet, author, and university professor is a well-known writer in Persian literature. He considers that literature should unchain people from capitalism's restrictions and serve as a social reformer. He contends that "literature" should be a direct result of the engagement between the author and his or her time. He also believes that opportunities for the advancement of our…
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Dr. Sima Samar, former director of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and special envoy of Ashraf Ghani for human rights and international affairs, has been one of the most influential women in Afghanistan's politics over the past two decades. She believes that human rights cannot be secured without collective awareness. Miss Samar believes that human rights were not a…
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Tomas Niklasson, the European Union's Special Envoy to Afghanistan, visited the country in October 2022 and held meetings with various Taliban leaders. During this interview, we discussed a range of topics, with a particular focus on Niklasson’s trip to Afghanistan. Hasht-e-Subh: Mr. Niklasson, we would like to thank you for this opportunity. You recently visited Afghanistan and met with civil…
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Since August 15, 2021, following the overthrown of the Afghan government by Taliban militants, Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserve has been frozen and blocked by the United States which has been one of the main topics of the Taliban in every summits and talks with international communities so far. The US president, Joe Biden signed an executive order on February 11, 2022, which cleared a…
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Rina Amiri was appointed as US Special Representative for Women and Human Rights in Afghanistan on December 29, 2021. The appointment was likely made in the wake of the worrying human rights situation following the fall of Kabul on August 15 last year. Since the beginning of her mission, Amiri has paid various visits to some countries, including Norway and Islamic countries. On March 8, the…
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By Sanjar Sohail Note: This article is the result of a conversation between Sanjar Sohail, the publisher of 8am and one of the 53 people who fled Kabul with Ashraf Ghani on August 15.  In this article, he recounts all the events that an eyewitness observed from 8 a.m. Sunday (August 15) to Monday night. Obviously, one person's experience and testimony cannot provide enough details to all the…
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