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American Idol, Afghan Style
Afghans voted on a new idol in a sign of the times for Afghanistan. The winner, Rafi Nabzada, was a 19-year-old man. He won $5,000 and a recording contract. The TV show, Afghan Star, is like American Idol. Contestants perform and compete, and viewers at home vote on who will become the next pop idol. The show, which is in its third year, is a huge hit.
In Afghanistan there is more to the story than just who will be the next pop singer. There are also huge political and religious issues. Afghanistan is a very conservative Muslim country. Before the US invaded that country in 2001, it was run by a brutal dictatorship called the Taliban.
The Taliban banned pop music and they did not let women be seen on television. One of the final contestants on Afghan Star this year was a woman, and some Afghans were angry that she was allowed to sing on television at all.
Her name is Lima Sahar, and when she performed she wore a scarf to cover her hair which is a Muslim tradition. Lima finished in third place, the highest finish ever for a woman.
The man who runs the show says it is helping Afghans change their country for the better by changing attitudes about women.
I'm Isaac and that's what happened in the arts this week.
Photo: AP
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