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Aryana Sayeed to Afghan artists under threat: 'I'm here with you.'

Aryana Sayeed appears on television without a headscarf, sings what she wants to, and refuses to quiet down about the rights of women and girls.
Aryana Sayeed appears on television without a headscarf, sings what she wants to, and refuses to quiet down about the rights of women and girls. (Fabiola Carletti/CBC)

Like most TV talent show judges, Aryana Sayeed is a pop star in her own right. But unlike most judges, she wears a bullet proof vest on her way to set.

The Afghan Star judge joins Rachel Giese to discuss her art, her activism and why she continues to perform — and encourage other talented young women to follow suit — despite the haters, the disapproval, and the very real death threats. 

"I've had music inside me since childhood," says Sayeed, who says her family was "worried sick" about her decision to become the first artist in their family. Still, despite the hurdles, the singer says she wants to spread happiness and help her country catch up to the rest of the world.

Her message to other women in the struggle: "I'm here with you."