Celebrating Afghani Women
Fatima Roshanian
Founder and Chair of Nimrokh Media
“When I entered university I chose Political Science. I thought maybe I could change policies to change the system.”
On August 10, 2025, a community of Afghanis and their friends gathered at Banu Kabob in Calgary to celebrate the 8th year of Nimrokh Media,[1] and the 31st birthday of its founder, Fatima Roshanian.[2] Two amazing milestones for a remarkable young woman from Afghanistan.
The event opened with some traditional music, played by Ameer John on a two-stringed dambura (or dutar). The instrument really caught my eye, it has a long neck and is played by strumming the strings and tapping the body - like a mix between a lute and a hand-drum. I was enthralled with the beautiful music.
Ameer John
Playing the dambura and singing in the traditional Dari language
We then watched a short video about Nimrokh Media, followed by several speakers, congratulating Fatima on her arduous journey.
Fatima gave a very powerful speech, an except is transcribed below:
“Nimrokh, it has become a voice of exile, of prison, of torture but also the voice of protest, resistance and hope, because what we write is not just journalism it’s a history. I stand here proud now that Nimrokh is a part of this history startup for freedom, for dignity and for a brighter tomorrow.
So I have a question. Will you stand with us? Will you be a part of this change, and help women in Afghanistan turn the darkness page of our history?”
Carolyn Campbell and Fatima Roshanian (and many others)
cutting the cake
One of the speakers was Carolyn Campbell, who had invited me to this event. Carolyn had previously worked with me at the Alberta Wilderness Association as the Conservation Director, before she retired in 2023. She is now a member of the board of Nimrokh, having become involved with the organisation after connecting with an Afghanistan refugee family.
“I want to tell you why I am here. So, I knew that Afghanistan under Taliban rule had become the worst place in the world by official policy, by official law and decree, for women and girls.
I got to know Fatima’s story and I also read Nimrokh Media’s website and I was hooked. The brilliance of the reporting, the powerful stories at so many different levels....what affected me was hearing about young women whose lives in the city at their university programs or their young careers were drastically changing as things and possibilities get taken away from them.”
The event culminated in a lovely lunch and more wonderful music, and lots of deep thought. What can we do?
Back in my university days I remember protesting for women’s rights and advocating for women in Afghanistan (before the war when the Taliban were still in power). With the regime taking over again in 2021, the hard won freedoms of Afghani women have once again been chiseled away. Fatima is an inspiring woman who continues to fight to tell the story of women in Afghanistan.
This is an excellent organisation to support! It is something YOU CAN DO to help!
“I am not free while any woman is unfree.”
[1] “Literally, Nimrokh means ‘the profile of a woman’s face,’ and indicates the desire to talk about the visible and hidden aspects of women’s lives.” https://nimrokhmedia.com/en/about/
[2] Fatima Roshanian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-roshanian-857485233/
[3] Zan Times (2024) Neutral journalism is not possible in the time of the Taliban: An interview with Fatima Roshanian. Posted online May 2, 2024.
