Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
First foreign litigator in Afghanistan, called 911, representing Western clients and pro bono cases, especially women in moral crimes.
On the island
Eight records
I had an uncle who was a DJ. And so I asked him to give us the soundtrack of A Nightmare on My Street by Will Smith so that we could rap to it.
I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
My mother was playing this song and she was crying. It was the first and frankly, only time I've ever seen my mother cry.
My father hated that I liked rap. So I would have to sneak and listen to this.
I actually had the honor of meeting her a few months ago and she's just an amazing person. I love this song and I chose this song because I feel like this is one of those coming into your own type of songs.
My friend, Nick Lee, and he played this tune, Dance With Me by Dizzy Rasco. And I was like, who is this? And so, and it's just one of those songs where like everyone just pops and dances.
this is sort of one of those songs that I have used in sort of my private time. ... this is a sad song, but it's a song where I'm able to sort of unwind different conversations I may have with clients.
I feel like this is my war song. You know, when I'm about to go to court, this is my jam.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:46How does the comparison between the courtroom and the dance floor play out?
Well, I feel like it's my job to understand what's the beat of the court. Some courts, they like hip-hop, some courts they like rap, some courts they like rock. And my playlist consists of the laws, the stories that my clients have, and my legal arguments that I mix in there.
Presenter asks
2:58How deep do the problems with the judicial system run?
I mean, there's a lot of issues with court systems everywhere, but particularly within Afghanistan, at least what I see is a lot of people are going to court, not being represented by attorneys, which is their legal right in Afghanistan. I see a lot of women, frankly, being railroaded in the system and men as well. Women more so for what they term as moral crimes. I've met quite a few women that were victims of rape, that were criminally charged with adultery. I've been to court where people aren't allowed to speak. They're not even allowed to present their case. There's been very few court hearings that I've seen where I've seen prosecutors bring evidence or witnesses to support what they're saying in court, but people are always getting found guilty. It's a very uneven justice system. And so I try to do what I can within the legal system. I try to fight for my clients within the bounds of the law. And really, the goal is not just for me to represent my clients, but also to educate my clients on what their rights are.
Presenter asks
The keepsakes
The book
George Orwell
It's a book that I always travel with, and I feel like it would stand the test of time, especially with me being bored on a desert island. And it's a book that I can read and reread over and over again.
The luxury
Business card holder with a photo of her children and a mirror
I would take that, and then I could break off the business card holder and I could maybe file it down into a knife or something for protection. And then there's a mirror.
Of the many clients you've worked with, which will you never forget?
Well, I mean, I think a client that really sticks out in my mind is Gulnaz, an Afghan teenage girl that was raped by her cousin's husband. ... And it made it memorable because, at the end of the day, she was so vulnerable and so distraught. And to a certain extent, also so accepting of what happened to her. You know, up until when we had our conversations, she just thought she deserved it.
Presenter asks
24:58What happened when you got there?
Well, when I got there, I was terrified. You know, you really literally think that when you get off the plane that a suicide bomber is going to try to run up to you and give you a hug. I remember being on the bus from the plane to the terminal and me and this Afghan woman sort of locked eyes and she kind of shook her head at me like, here we go. And then she started putting on her headscarf. And it was just sort of this understanding that we're about to enter into this world and be second class citizens. But it was nowhere near as scary as they tried to make it seem like it was in that training.
Presenter asks
33:28How do you manage the corruption in Afghanistan?
Well, the best way to fight corruption is to not be corrupt. And so for me, I've had a lot of judges and prosecutors that may come to me or come to my people, you know, asking for a bribe. And so the best way that I have found to fight against that is for me to be super transparent. So I'll say, I don't pay bribes. They're like, oh, no, no, no, I wasn't asking. I'm like, well, just in case you were, I want you to know that I don't. If I have a judge that's asking for money, I have been known to write a letter and say, on this date, you asked me for this amount of money. I do not pay bribes. It is illegal. And I'll file it in the file. And I remember the last time that I was asked by, that a judge sort of was trying to ask if I would pay them money. They go to my translator and they said, do Americans pay bribes? And my translator goes, not this one.
Presenter asks
42:24What is it that drives you?
You know, part of my practice is being immersed in cultures, you know, going to a place and immersing myself in cultures, immersing myself into my clients' lives, immersing myself into the legal system. And so I've really enjoyed that a lot. And I feel to a certain extent that I have a responsibility to help people, not just to help people, but to protect them with the law and to empower them with the law. And, you know, I feel like that's my superpower. My superpower is to fly there, land, and give you the law, but not just give it to you, but empower you in a way that you start understanding and can argue for yourself.
“You have to figure out which ones will make people dance when you go to court.”
“It's always a fight. It's always a battle. When I have a case that's a trial case, it's war as far as I'm concerned.”
“I get mad a lot, but that that's really good for me.”
“Poor people don't win.”
“I don't pay bribes.”