Afghanistan with Roh Yakobi

Professor Thomas Barfield is one of the preeminent experts on Afghanistan, having spent over five decades studying and writing on the country. He is the author of 'Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History' and 'Shadow Empires,' among many others.  In this interview, he talks about traveling around Afghanistan for the first time in 1971 and the impact it had on him, his fie...

Artemis Akbary is an LGBTIQ rights activist and the co-founder and Executive Director of the Afghan LGBT Organization (ALO), and a producer/presenter at Radio Ranginkaman. They have spoken and campaigned at various international gatherings about the plight of the LGBTIQ community in Afghanistan. In this moving interview, Artemis shares their personal story, and their harrowing experience of growin...

Thomas Ruttig is a co-founder of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. He has worked on and in Afghanistan since he graduated in Afghan Studies from Humboldt University, Berlin in 1985: as an East German (GDR) diplomat, including at the GDR Embassy in Kabul (1985-89), as political affairs officer for two United Nations missions in Afghanistan (2000-2003, including as UNSMA head of office Kabul, advise...

Thomas Ruttig is a co-founder of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. He has worked on and in Afghanistan since he graduated in Afghan Studies from Humboldt University, Berlin in 1985: as an East German (GDR) diplomat, including at the GDR Embassy in Kabul (1985-89), as political affairs officer for two United Nations missions in Afghanistan (2000-2003, including as UNSMA head of office Kabul, advise...

Fereshta Abbasi is the Afghanistan Researcher at Human Rights Watch and a Chevening Scholar. Born a refugee in Iran, she was taken to Afghanistan as a child, where she pursued her education, eventually becoming a lawyer.  In this interview, she shares her remarkable story and inspirational achievements. Subscribe through “Support the show” link below. Send us a Text Message. Support the Show. Prod...

Llewelyn Morgan is a professor of Classics at the University of Oxford. He is the author of "The Buddhas of Bamiyan", a book that explores the long and complex history of the Buddha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, and their eventual destruction in 2001.  Professor Morgan has written extensively on Afghanistan, and in this interview, he discusses his work, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, their histor...

Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin is a former EU Special Representative and Danish ambassador in Afghanistan. He played a central role in the implementation of the Danish and EU efforts in Afghanistan, from September 11, 2001, until the evacuation from Kabul. He assisted the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations with the planning of US Afghanistan policies. Mellbin negotiated the first peace agre...

Andrew Quilty is a multi-award-winning Australian photojournalist and the author of "August in Kabul". He lived and worked in Afghanistan for almost a decade, capturing and covering the country's stories. His work has been published globally. He was in Kabul the day the Taliban arrived in August 2021, riding his motorcycle and capturing their arrival. In this interview, he reflects on his time in...

Born in a refugee camp in Pakistan, Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan human rights activist and the founder of LEARN Afghanistan, an NGO through which she runs undercover schools across the country. In this interview, she talks about her life and work. Her book, "Last to Eat, Last to Learn", is out now.  📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gwLgJY4l9Wk Host & Producer: Roh Yakobi Assist...

In this first Q&A episode, I attempt to answer some of your questions... 🌏 Get 10% discount on your first month of BetterHelp. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy service with more over 34,000 professional therapists.  ➼ BetterHelp.com/TheAfgPod  Send us a Text Message. Support the Show. Producer: Roh Yakobi Music ©: Dawood Sarkhosh Email: hello@rohyakobi.com Instagram: @Roh...

Born in Bamiyan, Zahra Nader is an award-winning journalist and the Editor-in-Chief of Zan Times, a media outlet focused on women and marginalised communities in Afghanistan. In this interview, she talks about her childhood, her struggles as a refugee in Iran, her life in Kabul and Canada, her experiences, and her dreams for her outlet and herself, sharing her incredible story. Host & Producer...

Renowned for her decades of humanitarian work, providing health and education services to millions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sima Samar discusses her extraordinary life journey in this interview. She talks about her origins in a village in Hazarajat and her rise to become a globally recognised physician, activist, and politician. Her memoir, OUTSPOKEN: My fight for freedom and human rights in A...

Craig Whitlock is an investigative journalist at The Washington Post and the author of 'The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War'. The book, which offers a comprehensive examination of the deceptions, shortcomings, missteps, and misguided policies that characterised America's defeat in Afghanistan. In this interview, Craig discusses his book, experience of covering US defence policies o...

Mir Tamim Ansary is an Afghan-American author who left Afghanistan in the early 1960s. He has written many books, including "West of Kabul, East of New York", "Games Without Rules", "Destiny Disrupted: A History of The World Through Islamic Eyes" and "The Invention of Tomorrow". In this interview he talks about his childhood in Afghanistan, his extraordinary family background, growing up in Americ...

Larisa Brown is a British journalist and author. She is currently the defence editor at The Times newspaper. In this interview, she talks about her book, The Gardener of Lashkar Gah, which tells the extraordinary story of Shaista Gul, a man who worked at a British military base in Helmand as a gardener, and his son, Jamal, who worked as an interpreter with British forces across the province, got i...

Tobias Ellwood is a Conservative member of the British Parliament and a former chair of the House of Commons' Defence Select Committee. In July 2023, he visited Afghanistan, following which he called for engagement with the Taliban, causing an uproar, with many criticising his stance. As a result, he resigned as chair of the Defence Select Committee. In this in-depth interview, he talks about his...

Heather Barr is associate director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch. She worked in Afghanistan for over a decade for the UN and Human Rights Watch. In this interview she reflects on her time in the country, her work and views on the current situation.  Host & Producer: Roh Yakobi Assistant Producer/Researcher: Sa-aadat Yakobi Music ©: Dawood Sarkhosh Email: hello@rohya...

Wendy Chamberlain MP is a Liberal Democrat member of the British parliament. She is the co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Afghan Women and Girls and has been a strong voice for the cause of women and girls in Afghanistan. In this interview she talks about her work on Afghanistan, her views and concerns.  Host & Producer: Roh Yakobi Assistant Producer/Researcher: Sa-aadat Y...

Johnny Mercer is former British MP and Minister for Veterans' Affairs. He served three tours in Afghanistan as an army officer. In this interview, he talks about his time in Afghanistan, his views on the Taliban and the current situation in the country and stories of fighting the group in Helmand.  Host & Producer: Roh Yakobi Assistant Producer/Researcher: Sa-aadat Yakobi Music ©: Dawood...

David Loyn is a renowned British journalist and author who specialises in Afghanistan, with decades of experience in the country and the region as a BBC correspondent. He worked as an advisor to Ashraf Ghani's government for a year after leaving the BBC. In this interview, he shares his insights, analysis, and thoughts on the situation in the country and what should happen next. David Loyn's books...

Major General Charlie Herbert served multiple tours in Afghanistan and led British forces in Helmand province. He also served in other capacities, working with Afghan government ministries and leaders. In this interview, he shares his insights, thoughts, and stories about what happened during the 20-year Western involvement in the country and what he thinks about the future. Host & Producer: R...

Stephan Jensen is a former Norwegian army officer who served in Afghanistan's northern provinces of Faryab and Balkh (Mazar-i-Sharif). Currently, he is working on a book detailing the history of the War in Afghanistan. In this interview, Jensen discusses his experiences during his time in the country, provides an analysis of what went wrong, and explores Norway's unique position in global diplomac...

Dr Habiba Sarabi is the former Minister of Women's Affairs in Afghanistan and was the first woman to hold a governorship in the country, serving as the governor of Bamiyan Province. She was also a part of the delegation negotiating with the Taliban before the group's return to power in August 2021.  In this interview she talks about her childhood, her life in politics, negotiating with t...

Jason Criss Howk has spent 21 years focused on Afghanistan in defence, diplomacy, academic, humanitarian, and intelligence roles. He is the director of Global Friends of Afghanistan, a frequently published writer, and guest lectures at American University and the USMC War College. Host & Producer: Roh Yakobi Assistant Producer/Researcher: Sa-aadat Yakobi Music ©: Dawood Sarkhosh Email: he...

Mohsin Dawar is a Pakistani politician who leads the political party called the National Democratic Movement. He previously served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 to August 2023. Dawar has been a staunch critic of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, accusing them of being proxies of the Pakistani military. In this interview, he talks about Pakistan, Pashtuns,...