S1 E3 Shafi KARIMI & Sofiea SAKHI, Journalists

Originally from Logar Province south of Kabul, Shafi Karimi has been a working journalist with Ariananews Television, TOLOnews, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, The National, Al Akhbar, and VICE. Karimi says, “Journalism is my dream and my favorite profession which I have loved since childhood....As a journalist, throughout my career in Afghanistan, I have tried to raise my voice against taboos and injustice. I have made critical reports and I have tried to advocate for justice."

Sofiea Sakhi was also a journalist in Kabul, also reporting for ArianaNews. Sakhi started working in the media in 2015, when the news industry in Afghanistan was rapidly expanding and went on to become a presenter and a radio host covering stories on culture, entertainment, and social issues pertaining to women. “I come from a family of journalists and media personalities, particularly women, who’ve inspired me to be a part of this world of media,” she said. “I love my work, especially because it allowed me to highlight issues of women and talk about powerful women to inspire the youth,” she said.

But as insurgent violence increased over the past year, the conflict had come much too close to both of them. Their outspoken demeanors on TV shows and their social and political activities had made them targets for the Taliban and the Islamic State. They fled Afghanistan and are now living in Paris, France.

In this episode, we hear about the difficulty and excitement of making a new life, and new journalism careers, in a foreign culture and new language.

When asked for a song that is meaningful for them, they shared Dawood Sarkhosh "Sarzamine Man" (My Homeland), an emotional song about leaving home. We play and discuss a clip of the song on the episode, but you can listen the whole thing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdQP8-gHjxg. Thank you to Dawood Sarkhosh for writing this important song and to Shafi and Sofiea for sharing it with us.

Thank you also to Michaela Prell for her editorial and editing assistance on this episode.