"I left Afghanistan because, like millions of people, I fear the Taliban," said Afghan broadcaster Beheshta Arghand, who made headlines in her country earlier this month. Arghand, a journalist at TOLONews, an Afghan news network, conducted a live interview with a senior Taliban official, which garnered international attention. Two days later, she interviewed Malala Yousafzai, the activist who survived a Taliban assassination attempt. TOLONews stated that it was the first time Yousafzai was interviewed on Afghan television.
Arghand, 24, explained to CNN Business via WhatsApp that the interview with Taliban member Mawlawi Abdul Haq Hamd was "difficult, but I did it for Afghan women." She added, "I told myself someone has to start... If we stay at home or don’t go to our offices, they will say women do not want to work, but I told myself: start working." Arghand continued, "I told the Taliban member: We want our rights. We want to work. We want - we must - be in society. This is our right."
According to CNN, Arghand's work was suspended, and she decided to leave Afghanistan, citing the risks faced by many journalists and ordinary Afghans. Saad Mohseni, owner of TOLONews, told reliable sources at CNN on Sunday: "Almost all our known reporters and journalists have left. We worked like crazy to replace them with new people," adding, "We have the double challenge of getting people out because they feel unsafe and keeping the process going."
Commenting on the interview Arghand conducted on August 17 with a Taliban member, Mohseni confirmed in an article in The Washington Post that this was "the first time in Afghanistan's history that a Taliban representative appeared live in a television studio sitting in front of a female broadcaster," noting that "the Taliban is trying to present a moderate face to the world."
Arghand studied journalism at Kabul University for four years. She had worked at several news agencies and radio stations for short periods before joining TOLONews as a broadcaster earlier this year. She recalls to CNN, "I worked there for a month and 20 days, then the Taliban came."
After two days of interviewing Yousafzai, Arghand reached out to her for help. On Tuesday, she boarded an evacuation flight with several family members. She concluded by expressing hope for her return, stating, "If the Taliban implements what it said - what it promised - and the situation improves, and I know that I am safe and there is no threat to me, I will return to my country and work for my country and for my people."
