KABUL, October 25, 2010 – Khaama Press, a new independent English-language news website, has begun publishing with a two-way mission: to bring news from Afghanistan to readers around the world, and to bring the wider world closer to Afghans.
The site was founded by Khushnood Nabizada, a young Afghan journalist and entrepreneur. It will cover political, social and economic developments in Afghanistan, along with major international stories that matter to Afghan readers.
Nabizada said the idea took root in his childhood in a remote village in Bamyan province, where news was hard to come by and contact with the outside world was limited.
“When I was a child, we didn’t have many ways to know what was happening outside our village. A radio was one of our few connections to the wider world,” Nabizada said. “That experience stayed with me. I always wanted to do something that would help connect people through information.”
His ambition, he said, is for Khaama Press to become a voice of Afghanistan to the world, giving international readers a clearer understanding of the country, its people and the issues shaping their lives.
Publishing in English was a deliberate choice.
“Afghanistan is part of a much bigger world, and our young generation needs to know what is happening beyond our borders,” Nabizada said. “English can help us communicate with people from other countries, learn from their experiences and share our own stories with them.”
He said the site also hopes to spark a wider interest in international affairs among young Afghans, and to encourage them to see language and information as tools for learning and connection.
The name Khaama comes from the Persian word for pen, reflecting the founder’s belief in the power of writing and the free exchange of information.
Khaama Press is starting small, with limited resources, but plans to expand its coverage and readership step by step.
Nabizada said he hopes the site will add to Afghanistan’s growing media sector and help build a lasting bridge between Afghan society and audiences around the world.
