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The article
The winner of Afghanistan’s pop idol contest has been declared. Rafi Naabzada, 19, beat his rival Hameed Sakhizada into first place in the grand final of Afghan Star. The hit TV talent show has been a huge success in Afghanistan. An estimated 11 million viewers regularly tuned in to watch it over the past three months. The final, which took place at a heavily-guarded Kabul hotel, had the biggest audience. Over one-third of the Afghan population watched to see if Naabzada or Sakhizada would win. The two finalists received more than 300,000 votes by text message. Both contestants were modest about their success. Mr Naabzada said: "I am very happy to become an Afghan Star." Runner up Sakhizada seemed satisfied with coming second, saying: "I do not feel that I am defeated today, but I think that I am a lucky man."
The show was not popular with everyone in Afghanistan. It received severe criticism from conservatives because of the number of women who took part. In particular, there was a lot of attention on Lema Sahar, a 20-year-old woman who finished third. Sahar is from southern Kandahar province, which is the birthplace of the Taliban. She told a press conference about the dangers she faced in singing live on national television: "I am proud to have reached this position. I have been threatened, including several phone calls during the night, but I never lost my confidence. I came third because of the votes of my people,” she said proudly. The show’s host Daud Sideqi defended Sahar, saying: "Music has always been part of our culture.…If we look to the Islamic countries around us like Pakistan, Iran, and Tajikistan, they all have singers, including women singers."
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