Mariam Solaimankhil was born in the United States to Afghan parents who had sought political asylum. She first visited Afghanistan in 2010, and what was meant to be a short trip quickly became a homecoming. Over the next decade, Mariam dedicated herself to public service and eventually entered politics as an MP.

In 2021, just days before Kabul fell to the Taliban, she was warned that they would kill her if she stayed. She says she never comprehended leaving Afghanistan in the way she did- and is now based in California, where she continues her work as part of Afghanistan’s government in exile.

In this episode, Mariam speaks for the first time about the personal experiences that led her into politics and addresses the Taliban’s ongoing erosion of women’s and human rights in Afghanistan.

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Host/Producer: Sara Gill

Audio Edit: Muhammad Ali Khan++