The club, composed mostly of women but also of a few men, meets at a cafe or a reading space at Kabul University to discuss novels

RisingWorld 2017-05-22

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The club, composed mostly of women but also of a few men, meets at a cafe or a reading space at Kabul University to discuss novels
— from Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” to Khaled Hosseini’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns” — and broad philosophical questions.
Afghan Magazine, a Sisterhood of Ideas, Hopes to Counter Men’s Sway -
Photographs and Text by MUJIB MASHALMAY 21, 2017
The first issue of the Afghan women’s magazine covers standard ground, like fashion tips during pregnancy
and interviews with young pop artists about their love lives.
“But we want to introduce them in an Afghan way — in a simpler way that matches how our people live.”
“The main issue is durability of work inside Afghanistan, and the other issue is impact,” she said.
Its editor, Fatana Hassanzada, above right, is aware
that she will face resistance in certain circles of men who, without even reading the magazine, will view its content as leading women astray and, therefore, dangerous.
Despite the risk, she hopes Gellara becomes a household name, a forum for conversation for young women
that can be slipped under apartment doors or into purses, and offered at beauty parlors and dentist offices.
It took months to prepare their first issue because they struggled to find a balance between pursuing nurturing themes
like second-wave feminism, which might appeal to a more educated audience, and attracting a wider readership.
She knows that the magazine — the product of nearly five months of work by a dozen young female volunteers — could very well be burned.

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