Latest posts by Omid Bidar
“Women Can Change Afghanistan”: Interview with Noorjahan Akbar
Noorjahan Akbar, 22, is an Afghan women's rights activist and a prolific blogger. She believes that there has been a lot of positive change for women's rights in Afghanistan over the last decade. She also believes that social media serve as an important avenue for Afghan women to highlight their plight.
Pakistan's Hazara Shias Demand Arrests, Protection After Deadly Bombing
In the latest attack against Pakistan's Hazara Shia minority, a bomb ripped through a busy market in the southwestern city of Quetta in Pakistan on February 16, claiming as many as 63 people and injuring 180 others. Many have accused the government of inaction, demanding that authorities step in and put an end to the mass killings.
Why Death for Distributing Polio Vaccine in Pakistan?
Aid workers administering polio vaccination projects across Pakistan are increasingly coming under attack from Islamist militants. While some Pakistanis accuse humanitarian organizations of spying on behalf of the United States, many employees remain determined to stay in the country.
“We Are All Hazara” Protests Across Pakistan
Thousands across Pakistan and worldwide are showing solidarity with the Shia Hazara minority, as their sit-in protest enters its second day in the country's southwestern city, Quetta.
Most Corrupt Country Award Goes to Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks as the world's most corrupt country in the latest survey by a global corruption watchdog. The release of the survey triggered a wave of anti-corruption rallies across the war-torn country. In Bamyan, civil society activists awarded an effigy of Afghan president with the 'Most Corrupt Country Cup'.
Afghanistan Post-2014: Will the Dark Days Return?
With two years to go until NATO troops leave Afghanistan the country’s netizens have mixed feelings about the eventual withdrawal. While many are terrified at the prospect of the return of the Taliban, others look forward to the end of the NATO mission.
Afghans Show Restraint Over Anti-Islam Film
In spite of fears, Afghanistan saw relatively muted protests a result of the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims. On the internet front, YouTube was blocked and Afghan hackers targeted a Christian website.
Afghanistan: When Bronze Means More than Gold
"In a year filled with suicide bombings, school poisonings and kidnappings, the bronze for Afghanistan was more than gold." The country celebrates its one and only Olympic winner - Bronze medalist and Taekwondo fighter Rohullah Nikpai.
Afghanistan: Girl's Murder Sparks Anger and Protests
Shakila, a 16-year-old girl, was reportedly raped and murdered by a powerful politician in Afghanistan's Bamyan province some six months ago. Although the politician's supporters claim that Shakila took her own life, activists and netizens believe that the strongman is misleading the investigation and urge the authorities to ensure that he does not go unpunished.
Afghanistan: Adultery Execution Video Sparks Outrage
A 22-year-old Afghan woman was recently executed publicly for alleged adultery in a small village not far from the capital Kabul. Her killing has sparked outrage both in the country and abroad. In Kabul, women took to the streets to condemn the murder and demand protection for their rights.
Afghanistan: High School Student Discovers Math Formula
A high-school student in Afghanistan has discovered a mathematical formula for solving quadratic equations. Twitter users have welcomed the news as an indication of improvements in the country's education sector.
Sharing Photos of the Afghanistan You Never See
Most media covering developments in Afghanistan carry terrifying images. Through their lens, Afghanistan is presented as a country drowning in the waves of violence and militancy. A number of photographers help people to see the war-torn but beautiful country from a different perspective.
Pakistan: RIP Ghazal Legend Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan Khan also famously known as the ‘King of Ghazal’ passed away on Wednesday, 13, June, 2012 after a protracted illness, in a local hospital in Karachi city of Pakistan. Netizens pay their tribute.
Afghanistan's First Computer-Animated Movie
Leaving the three decades of war and destruction behind, Afghans make use of modern technology and media to rebuild the country and raise new generations with a brighter vision for the future. ‘Buz-e-Chini‘ (Goat) is the country's first ever 3D computer-animated short film.
Afghanistan: Girls Poisoned for Attending School
Although a ban on education for girls and women in Afghanistan was lifted after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, female students continue being targeted by fundamentalists for attending school. In a recent string of attacks in the northeastern Afghan province of Takhar, hundreds of girls were poisoned at their schools.
Pakistan: The Hazara Killings – Why Is The World Silent?
The Hazara minority in Pakistan have been suffering from sectarian violence and targeted killings by the extremist terrorist outfits in the past decade. Netizens protest the failure to nab the culprits and the silence of the world on these killings.
