Faizullah Qardash, a journalist from RFE/RL’s Afghan Service, known locally as Radio Azadi, has been recognized for his coverage of politics and youth issues in Afghanistan.
The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, awarded Qardash the Allama Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan Prestigious State Medal for his radio literary programs. Named after Sayyid Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, an Islamic scholar and philosopher who lived in the 19th century and was an advocate for Pan-Islamic unity, the medal is Afghanistan’s second-highest honor for civilians.
Qardash is one of 21 writers and poets awarded by President Ghani for their work this year. Qardash is also the editor of Radio Azadi’s education section and the producer of Azadi Magazine, a popular weekly literary and cultural program.