With Afghanistan now firmly in the hands of the Taliban, a full-scale war on women is underway inside that country. Women are being forcibly married, hunted, beaten and killed. Our President and many in Congress want to turn the page. But Zainab Salbi is on the front lines of the fight—and refuses to allow it.
We continue the Independent Americans deep dive into Afghanistan and all the ways it’s impacting the world, national security and American politics, with a focus this episode on the 14 million women left to fight and die under Taliban rule.
Zainab Salbi is an activist, author, Founder of Women for Women International, a renowned journalist. And she is a returning guest and audience favorite. She first appeared on this show in May 2019 and is back to break it down.
Raised in Baghdad, Iraq, Zainab grew up as a small girl calling Saddam Hussein her uncle. Her father was Hussein’s private pilot and from an early age, Zainab was thrust into the small and twisted circle of the notorious dictator. She escaped an abusive arranged marriage with only $400 in her pocket and would go from working in a Hallmark store in Chicago to receiving honors from the President of the United States at the White House. She now is a best-selling author and one of the most powerful Muslim-American voices in media and politics.
Zainab has dedicated her life to the cause of helping women everywhere. And there has been no more urgent crisis than this one.
And with mounting tensions and issues for women everywhere reaching a boiling point, Zainab is the perfect voice for this moment. It’s another conversation that keeps it real. With tough lessons–and hard truths. The kind to help you stay vigilant. Because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.
As always, we’re bringing the Righteous Media 5 I’s: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact.
Our host, national security and political analyst and Army veteran Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) takes you behind the scenes for candid conversations with top leaders from all backgrounds. It’s a bold and blunt perspective you won’t find anywhere else on the media landscape.
