Abbas Nazari: Escaping the Taliban, The Tampa Affair, Becoming a Best-Selling Author

Strap in, because this is one of the craziest stories we’ve told.

When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari's parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland of Aghanistan, or seek security for their young children elsewhere.

Abbas’ family chose to leave, and what happened next formed the storyline for his best selling book After The Tampa.

Abbas talks about escaping the Taliban as a young child, being adrift at sea as a refugee for weeks, the makings of the largest maritime rescue in modern history, which turned into an international standoff and finding home in Aoteraroa.

Then after arriving in NZ as an eight year old who spoke no English, Abbas went on to place third in the New Zealand Spelling Bee a few years later, played rep rugby, graduated from the University of Canterbury, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in Washington DC and now owns two gyms and is one of NZ’s most in-demand speakers.

Abbas is a world-class storyteller, with one of the most incredible tales to tell. This was one of our favourite episodes we’ve done, and a real perspective shifter.

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