Nadia Hashimi's Blog: Video - Posts Tagged "book-recommendations"
Afghan Women, Book Recs, and Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club!
THE FUTURE FOR AFGHAN WOMEN
Last month, I had the privilege of discussing the future for Afghan women with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the annual meeting of the US Afghan Women's Council (of which she is Honorary Co-Chair). I appreciate her continued support for Afghan women's rights, especially as the US continues to peddle the narrative that the Taliban understand that diplomacy is the only path to peace in Afghanistan. The troops have left, evacuating Bagram without giving any advance notice to the Afghan national security forces. They are launching attacks across the country, in some areas forcing people to feed and clothe them. On the ground sources tell me they have seen Taliban asking for lists of widows and teenage girls for marriage and have already started imposing restrictions to restrict women to their homes unless they are fully covered and have a male escort.
Sound familiar?
It sure does to the women of Afghanistan.
“I don’t want the country under the control of people who treat women the way they do. We took up the guns to show if we have to fight, we will...They are frightened of being killed by us, they consider it shameful.” Check out this piece in The Guardian with striking images of women taking up arms.
As an advocate, I feel it's vital to amplify the priorities and ambitions of Afghan women. Here's an excerpt from an op-ed I wrote for eWomen's News:
"I regularly hear women activists in Afghanistan reaffirm their commitment to fight for their rights despite credible threats to their lives, despite the fear they feel when a motorcycle rumbles past their homes. Even as the world withdraws, we cannot feign ignorance. An armed struggle for the future of Afghanistan will produce more casualties, displace more families, shorten already contracted life spans, and make it less likely for a newborn to live to her first birthday. The percentage of the population grappling with disabilities and mental illness will increase."
And on a report describing the barriers to maternal health care in Afghanistan. As security concerns rise in the country, humanitarian aid has been shrinking and this threatens to undo the gains made in health metrics over the past two years. I discussed these findings and the road ahead with researcher/advocate Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch on an Instagram Live session that can be viewed HERE. (NB, Heather Barr was a vital and generous resource for me in writing A House Without Windows because of her research and report on women trapped in a problematic criminal justice system in Afghanistan.)
I'll continue to share updates on the situation and the advocacy efforts in this newsletter.
MY NIGHTSTAND
Here are a few stand outs from my recent reads/listens:
What a Happy Family by Saumya Dave
Does a novel written by a psychiatrist count as mental health care? I don't know but Dave's books are certainly good for the mind and soul.
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Conflicted, flawed, and noble characters. Tense scenes. Tongue in cheek humor. I fell so hard for this book.
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
The novel, like the ocean upon which it is set, swirls with opposite currents. It is brooding and hopeful and kept me up late at night with its tenderness for broken people navigating a broken planet.
BOOK CLUBS
In the 4 months since Sparks Like Stars was released, I've joined dozens of book club discussions. In one particularly busy week, I virtually hopped around from Pretoria to Toronto to Hong Kong, and from Ohio back to Maryland.
Some book clubs contacted me after reading this gorgeous NPR review, in which Marcela Davison Avilés describes the story as being "at once surreal and deeply rooted in the history of Afghanistan's modern turmoil and ancient enchantment."
I was over the moon excited to have Sparks Like Stars not only listed in the highly anticipated MODERN MRS DARCY 2021reading guide, but also named a Minimalist read alongside six other incredible titles. (Malibu Rising is next up on my TBR.) I'll be joining Anne Bogel herself for a book club chat on Instagram July 28th. Join the fun!
Last month, I had the privilege of discussing the future for Afghan women with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the annual meeting of the US Afghan Women's Council (of which she is Honorary Co-Chair). I appreciate her continued support for Afghan women's rights, especially as the US continues to peddle the narrative that the Taliban understand that diplomacy is the only path to peace in Afghanistan. The troops have left, evacuating Bagram without giving any advance notice to the Afghan national security forces. They are launching attacks across the country, in some areas forcing people to feed and clothe them. On the ground sources tell me they have seen Taliban asking for lists of widows and teenage girls for marriage and have already started imposing restrictions to restrict women to their homes unless they are fully covered and have a male escort.
Sound familiar?
It sure does to the women of Afghanistan.
“I don’t want the country under the control of people who treat women the way they do. We took up the guns to show if we have to fight, we will...They are frightened of being killed by us, they consider it shameful.” Check out this piece in The Guardian with striking images of women taking up arms.
As an advocate, I feel it's vital to amplify the priorities and ambitions of Afghan women. Here's an excerpt from an op-ed I wrote for eWomen's News:
"I regularly hear women activists in Afghanistan reaffirm their commitment to fight for their rights despite credible threats to their lives, despite the fear they feel when a motorcycle rumbles past their homes. Even as the world withdraws, we cannot feign ignorance. An armed struggle for the future of Afghanistan will produce more casualties, displace more families, shorten already contracted life spans, and make it less likely for a newborn to live to her first birthday. The percentage of the population grappling with disabilities and mental illness will increase."
And on a report describing the barriers to maternal health care in Afghanistan. As security concerns rise in the country, humanitarian aid has been shrinking and this threatens to undo the gains made in health metrics over the past two years. I discussed these findings and the road ahead with researcher/advocate Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch on an Instagram Live session that can be viewed HERE. (NB, Heather Barr was a vital and generous resource for me in writing A House Without Windows because of her research and report on women trapped in a problematic criminal justice system in Afghanistan.)
I'll continue to share updates on the situation and the advocacy efforts in this newsletter.
MY NIGHTSTAND
Here are a few stand outs from my recent reads/listens:
What a Happy Family by Saumya Dave
Does a novel written by a psychiatrist count as mental health care? I don't know but Dave's books are certainly good for the mind and soul.
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Conflicted, flawed, and noble characters. Tense scenes. Tongue in cheek humor. I fell so hard for this book.
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
The novel, like the ocean upon which it is set, swirls with opposite currents. It is brooding and hopeful and kept me up late at night with its tenderness for broken people navigating a broken planet.
BOOK CLUBS
In the 4 months since Sparks Like Stars was released, I've joined dozens of book club discussions. In one particularly busy week, I virtually hopped around from Pretoria to Toronto to Hong Kong, and from Ohio back to Maryland.
Some book clubs contacted me after reading this gorgeous NPR review, in which Marcela Davison Avilés describes the story as being "at once surreal and deeply rooted in the history of Afghanistan's modern turmoil and ancient enchantment."
I was over the moon excited to have Sparks Like Stars not only listed in the highly anticipated MODERN MRS DARCY 2021reading guide, but also named a Minimalist read alongside six other incredible titles. (Malibu Rising is next up on my TBR.) I'll be joining Anne Bogel herself for a book club chat on Instagram July 28th. Join the fun!
Video
My friends at William Morrow helped me put together a video giving some background on the bacha posh tradition and how I came to write this story.
http://youtu.be/PfGbDQ4Jw3U ...more
http://youtu.be/PfGbDQ4Jw3U ...more
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