Arbana Xharra is an investigative journalist, podcast host, and recipient of the 2015 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award. She is widely recognized for her expertise on religious radicalization and has authored a series of groundbreaking investigations into religious extremism and Islamist influence in the Balkans and across Europe.
Her work has been published by numerous international media outlets and leading academic journals, including publications affiliated with the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Throughout her career, Arbana has received multiple awards for her investigative reporting and has appeared on international television networks as an expert on religious freedom, extremism, and human rights.
The campaign of intimidation against Arbana began in 2012 after she started reporting on the rise of Islamic extremism in Kosovo. Due to her journalism and outspoken opposition to religious extremism, she became the target of sustained threats, including threats of violence, rape, and murder directed at both her and her two children. The harassment escalated when unidentified individuals painted blood-like red crosses near her apartment and on her car. On May 13, 2017, Arbana was ambushed and brutally attacked in the garage of her apartment building, an assault that left her hospitalized.
In 2018, Arbana relocated to the United States with her children, where she has continued her work as a journalist, writer, researcher, and advocate for human rights and freedom of expression.
Arbana is also the host of The Not Silent Podcast, a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of courageous women, dissidents, journalists, and human rights defenders from around the world. Through in-depth conversations, the podcast explores issues of democracy, human rights, freedom, resilience, and the challenges faced by those confronting authoritarianism, extremism, and oppression.
