If Salma Niazi, the founder of The Afghan Times, could choose two images to describe the current situation in Afghanistan, she wouldn’t have doubts: she would opt for a once-bright garden now covered in ash, and for a «vast and desolate prison without light at the end of the tunnel, especially for women».
Salma is an Afghan woman of 24 years old who fled her homeland on the 2nd of February 2022, after the Taliban’s comeback in 2021, that «marked the beginning of darkness for women, whose lives were dismantled overnight».
Salma originates from the province of Laghman, located in the eastern part of Afghanistan. Fleeing her homeland was for the young woman the hardest decision of her life. It was a forced choice because schools closed their doors to girls, workplaces barred female employees, and public spaces like parks and gyms were declared off-limits: «there was no space», tells Salma, adding that «women were stripped of their basic rights and reduced to mere shadows».
Salma was a university student with «countless dreams», she studied English Literature at the Laghman Teacher Training Center and Law and Political Sciences at the Rokhan Institute of Higher Education, in the province of Laghman. Before the Taliban’s comeback she worked as a journalist, but then, «the women who once dreamt of a future in education or journalism were left alone with nothing, but shattered hopes».
The first stop of her journey was Pakistan, where she faced lots of difficulties, because she encountered constant «uncertainty and fear» as a refugee in a foreign country. In August 2022, with her little savings she founded The Afghan Times, pursuing her passion for journalism, which is for her «a tool to amplify the voices of voiceless people». The Afghan Times is a platform where Afghan women can share their stories with the world, in response to the silence imposed on them and to the suppression of the media freedom from the Taliban.
On the 11th of January 2024, Salma moved to Dublin, in Ireland, where she is now physically safe, even if her heart is still in Afghanistan, with the women and children whose lives are in danger. Currently, Salma manages from Ireland the work of a group spread across the world and composed men, but above all women: some journalists still work in Afghanistan, while others are in exile in Ireland, Iran and Pakistan. Despite the distance, everyone works tirelessly to keep The Afghan Times alive, and the journalists are united in the mission to tell the truth.
The Afghan Times’ journalists in Afghanistan face constant threats, «they must remain invisible and even the smallest mistake could expose them to severe punishments», reminds Salma. On the newsroom weighs the fear for the safety of the colleagues in Afghanistan, because «every message or call could bring news of danger».
Women work secretly to be safe; they file reports and conduct interviews from their homes, often using just the mobile phone. Every day they risk their lives to share the truth, «they know the consequences they would endure if they were discovered, but their courage is unshakable», affirms Salma.
The Afghan Times never publishes women journalists’ names or identifying information in order to protect them.
The Afghan Times doesn’t have any institutional support and can only lean on small donations from friends. Financial struggles threaten the possibility to work, the lack of funds for training and growth often doesn’t allow the hiring of other journalists and limits the «ability to expand and improve» of the media, showing that since the beginning «the challenges are endless».
Despite the difficulties, the young woman hopes that one day her newspaper will become the biggest one in Afghanistan with the guidance of women, that it can continue to grow, inspiring hope and change for the Nation. «We are different from the other medias, because we focus on the forgotten people: the women and children of Afghanistan», assures the journalist, convinced that The Afghan Times is not just a media outlet, but also a lifeline for those whose voices have been silenced.
At the end, Salma pauses on the condition of Afghan women, that today are banned to see outside the window of their home. The hope is that, in the future, «they will live in peace and freedom, study, work and exist without fear». The journalist launches a message to the international community: «I often feel abandoned. The world must do more to support Afghan women, who need platforms to rebuild their lives».
