Outspoken

My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan

By: Sima Samar, Sally Armstrong

Narrated by: Wajma Soroor, Sally Armstrong

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

The impassioned memoir of Afghanistan's Sima Samar: medical doctor, public official, founder of schools and hospitals, thorn in the side of the Taliban, nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, and lifelong advocate for girls and women.

“I have three strikes against me. I’m a woman, I speak out for women, and I’m Hazara, the most persecuted ethnic group in Afghanistan.”

Dr. Sima Samar has been fighting for equality and justice for most of her life. Born into a polygamous family, she learned early that girls had inferior status, and she had to agree to an arranged marriage if she wanted to go to university. By the time she was in medical school, she had a son, Ali, and had become a revolutionary. After her husband was disappeared by the pro-Russian regime, she escaped. With her son and medical degree, she took off into the rural areas—by horseback, by donkey, even on foot—to treat people who had never had medical help before.

Sima Samar's wide-ranging experiences both in her home country and on the world stage have given her inside access to the dishonesty, the collusion, the corruption, the self-serving leaders, and the hijacking of religion. And as a former Vice President, she knows all the players in this chess game called Afghanistan. With stories that are at times poignant, at times terrifying, inspiring as well as disheartening, Sima provides an unparalleled view of Afghanistan’s past and its present.

Despite being in grave personal danger for many years, she has worked tirelessly for the dream she is convinced is an achievable one: justice and full human rights for all the citizens of her country.©2024 Sima Samar and Sally Armstrong (P)2024 Random House Canada

Critic reviews

“Afghanistan, often referred to as ‘the graveyard of empires,’ has been described and explained at length by foreigners, usually men. This book provides an illuminating view of contemporary—I hesitate to say modern—Afghanistan, from a woman who weaves the personal and the political into the story of her successes and dreams, but who never gives in to despair. Sima Samar’s life and work stand in defiance to the dark rule of the Taliban, as a promise for a better future for all Afghans, even when the whole world seems to have abandoned them.” —Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

“For two decades, Sima Samar was the conscience of democratic Afghanistan—a physician, human rights advocate, institution-builder, and justice-seeker. She embodied the ideals of her country’s revival after 2001 but paid a heavy price. Her story is essential and inspiring reading for all Americans, complicit as we are in a tragedy from which we must not turn away.” —Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars

“In Outspoken, Sima Samar relates her lifelong struggles against patriarchy: as an Afghan girl, a medical doctor, a refugee in Pakistan who built hospitals and schools, a government official, and a human rights defender. Her story trenchantly illuminates what we must all learn from interventions in Afghanistan and serves as a warning to the world at a time when women’s rights are under siege.” —Emma Bonino, politician and activist

Informative

Enjoyed from beginning to end. Always looking to learn and this book offered much insight to this topic.

A powerful story of a human rights legend

Dr. Sima Samar's memoir is a compelling, edifying, and inspirational story. It delves into her life as a pioneering human rights advocate in Afghanistan. I like that the story is persona; it traces her journey from growing up in a patriarchal society to her career in medicine and her relentless pursuit of justice and equality, particularly for women and ethnic minorities. Samar's candid reflections on the challenges she faced, including the dangers of opposing oppression in a male-dominated world, are both insightful and and important piece of Afghanistan's modern history. As an Afghan and Hazara diaspora in America, I relate strongly to the themes and issues she has examined in her real life story. Her discussions of Afghanistan's political turmoil, the effects of war, and the ongoing fight for women's rights add depth to her story. Outspoken is not just a memoir but a powerful call to action, making it essential reading for anyone interested in human rights and gender equality in Afghanistan. I also like the narrator who is apparently an Afghan-American. She pronounces Afghan terms properly and respectfully and coveys the emotions involved therein. Highly recommended.

Horrific circumstances for women in Afghanistan

The story of the author’s life was authentic & heartbreaking. She continues to work and project hope for her country despite rule by the Taliban extremists. A huge warning to all democratic nations that are dealing with religious & right-wing extremism. I am grateful for her outspoken word and her refusal to be silenced.