A talk show hosted by an incredibly popular female personality heralding empowerment and approaching taboo topics –– hmm, sounds familiar. Oprah is well-known for her success in helping people live their best life, but her philosophies have influenced far beyond what she can do herself. Inspired by the Queen of Talk, Mozhdah Jamalzadah now has the show of note … in Afghanistan.
Described by Time as, “part Oprah, part Hannah Montana,” the Afghan born Jamalzadah is a serious celebrity. She is one of Afghanistan’s most famous pop singers and hoards of fans follow her every move. The 26-year-old was raised in Canada, but started singing and creating music in order to help her native country and to give Afghan females a voice.
But Jamalzadah’s hit “Afghan Girl” was a message for men. “It is about all the great female heroes in Afghan history, and I try to remind men that women too can be powerful,” she told Time. The song has been so well received that she was asked to perform it at the White House for International Women’s Day.
Eventually, the singer was offered an opportunity to host a television music program in Afghanistan, but took a box set of Oprah DVDs to the producers instead. She persuaded them to let her have her own talk show after informing them that the show was about family issues, and that talking about these issues would create a stronger Afghanistan. She wanted to approach topics like poverty, education, abuse, disrespect for women and basic human rights; values that all start in the home.
So how does a young woman approach such topics to an Afghan audience, and even more so, without getting in to trouble with the government?
“I don’t go into it directly, because you can’t just force it on people,” she said. “What I am trying to do is introduce women’s rights slowly, without people noticing.” She feels like her show is really beginning to open up a conversation that has been deeply stifled. ”Even the women and girls, they feel like they can speak out. They are more confident.”
Clearly Jamalzadah had the strength within from beginning, but she considers Oprah the guiding light behind why she does what she does. ”Oprah inspired me to come here and do what she has done in America: to fix families and through them change society. Because of Oprah, I have been able to change the life of my nation.”
Photo courtesy of Mozhdah Jamalzadah via Facebook.
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