International student shares freelance journalism experiences
An international student shared her experiences as a freelance journalist for CBS News and USA Today Thursday afternoon at the year’s first International Forum.
About 50 students, faculty and staff listened as Rabia Akhtar spoke about the time she spent covering the war on terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“Life for all of us changed after 9-11,” Akhtar said.
Akhtar told of several situations she and Kimberly Dozier, her partner from CBS News, endured in Pakistan.
They attended several press conferences and rallies and interviewed as many people with information about the crisis as they could.
Akhtar said the pair spoke with top military leaders and tried to talk to religious party leaders as well.
Akhtar said the religious leaders would not say much; however, those below them gave Akhtar and Dozier information to bring back to America.
One experience Akhtar relayed involved a rally against the attack on America.
She saw flag-burning and Pakistanis going wildly out of control. The police brought out tear gas in order to calm the shouting crowd, and Akhtar said that was the only time she was afraid.
Akhtar also talked to a man who was formerly a part of the Taliban.
The exclusive interview, which was done in a very secluded place for security reasons, boosted CBS’ ratings by telling the horrifying tale of what the Taliban did that no one knew about, Akhtar said.
The Taliban members had pictures of massacres, homes they burnt and people they skinned. After this video was shown, many Muslims changed their positive views of the Taliban.
Akhtar also described her first trip into Afghanistan, and the people they encountered there.
Akhtar, Dozier and USA Today’s Jack Kelly talked to the women at war camps.
They learned of the atrocities against women under the Taliban. Akhtar said that black paint covers women’s windows so that they can’t see outside, and their education is restricted.
“That is not Islam,” Akhtar said of the Taliban’s claim to be following their religion as an excuse for the terror they cause.
