Top 10 Well of Celebrities in the Afghanistan 2023
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Hashim Sheikh
- . September 8, 2023
- . Update: September 9, 2023 7:29 am
Afghanistan, the war-torn landlocked country that is now being ruled by the Taliban, is often in the media for deteriorating women’s rights, bombings or malnutrition. Countless number of people over the decades fled this nation for better lives and future for themselves and their families.
Here are top 10 celebrities who are either from Afghanistan or one of their parents are from here:
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1. Sonita Alizadeh
She is a rapper and activist who was to be sold into marriage at the age of 16. She found her voice through music. Sonita fled to Iran with her family to escape the Taliban. Influenced by Iranian rapper Yas and America’s Eminem, she didn’t let Iran’s law prohibiting women from singing, and rose with her voice. Sonita has rapped about the heartbreaking life of girls and women in Afghanistan in “Daughters for Sale”. She continues to rap and advocates for bringing child marriage to an end. Sonita now lives in the United States.
2. Nadia Hashimi
She is a pediatrician, novelist and politician. Her parents are Afghans who moved to the US in the 1970s. Hashimi is a member of the US-Afghan Women’s Council and a board member of the Sahar Education organization for Afghan children and girls. Her book The Pearl that Broke its Shell (2014) is a story about two Afghan women who face challenges despite being separated by a century. Hashimi’s husband, who is a neurosurgeon is an Afghan refugee. They have four children.
3. Khaled Hosseini
He is an Afghan-American novelist who is the author of #1 New York Times bestselling book The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan – his father was a diplomat in the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother a high school teacher. After the bloody communist coup and invasion of the Soviet Army, they were granted political asylum in the United States. Khaled was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR in 2006.
4. Ali Olomi
He is an Afghan-American actor who was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is highly regarded for his roles in movies like Eagle Eye; 12 Strong, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol; and Charlie Wilson’s War; among others.
5. Najiba Paiz
She is an Afghan-born Pakistani television host. Najiba moved to Pakistan in the 1980s with her family. She took up an acting career with a Pasho serial Rogh Lewani. Najiba has acted in numerous films and serials, and hosted shows like the Afghan version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
6. Celina Jaitly
The Janasheen actress was born in Kabul. Her mother Meeta was an Afghan-Hindu. Celina was distressed when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 saying that the US didn’t give enough time to the peace process to produce sufficient and acceptable result.
7. Donnie Keshawarz
He is a Canadian actor whose parents are from Afghanistan. Donnie is regarded for his role in The Sopranos, and appearances in Law & Order; Lost; Sex and the City; and Homeland among others. Donnie is best known for playing Yusuf Auda in The Wolf of Wall Street.
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8. SSIO
He is a rapper of Afghan-German descent. His real name is Ssiawosch Sadat. SSIO is inclined towards the music stylized in the 1990s and hip hop styles like boom bap and g-funk. His lyrics have a touch of humor and he likes to ridicule fellow rappers and rap trends.
9. Sonia Nassery Cole
She is an Afghan-born American human rights activist. Sonia fled Afghanistan as a teenaged refugee and wrote a nine-page letter to US President Ronald Reagan who invited her to the White House. Since then she got involved in the world of philanthropy and is also a filmmaker and author. She made the highly acclaimed documentary The Breadwinner and The Black Tulip. Sonia is the author of Will I Live Tomorrow.
10. Josh Gad
He is a Hollywood comedian, singer and actor. Josh’s father Shmuel was a Jewish-Afghan, while his mother is a German Jewish. He believes Afghanistan used to be a fairly tolerant place, like Persia. Josh gave his voice to Frozen snowman character Olaf.
Afghanistan is known for its rich arts and culture, linking ancient civilians of Iran, India and China. However, there’s nothing much happening in the art and cultural side of things because of the extremist Taliban ideology.
