At 27, she is the youngest female mayor Afghanistan has ever had: Zarifa Ghafari has been a role model for many Afghan women since she took office in 2018. Now she fears for her life.
Maidan Shahr / Kabul – She is considered a pioneer and role model for millions of Afghan women: At the age of 24, Zarifa Ghafari became the first female mayor of Afghanistan. She was in office for three years. With the invasion of the Taliban *, her dream suddenly ended.
Maidan Shahr is around 45 kilometers from the Afghan capital Kabul. Zarifa Ghafari has been mayor of the city of 35,000 since 2018. For years, the young politician campaigned for women’s rights and even had her own radio show. In June, the Taliban finally gave her an ultimatum: Either she would have to leave office or her family would be killed. “The Taliban have threatened to murder my entire family if I do not withdraw from the public. I have to protect my mother and my six siblings, ”said Ghafari in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.
Afghan Mayoress Zarifa Ghafari: She is waiting to die
“I’m waiting for them to come and get me,” Ghafari said in an interview with the British newspaper i. She has no more hope and is waiting with her husband for the Taliban to kill her: “I cannot leave my family alone. And even if I do, where should I go? “
You know that this risk is part of your job, emphasized the mayor. The Taliban threatened her several times to kill her. She survived several attacks. But in November her father was hit. Since then, the 27-year-old has been the head of her family.
Afghan Mayor Zarifa Ghafari: First optimistic, now hopeless
Three weeks ago Ghafari was still full of hope: “Young people know what is happening. You’re on social media. They communicate with each other. I believe that they will not stop fighting for progress and rights. I believe that this country has a future ”. But now this wish seems to have moved a long way off. (Ares Abasi) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Category image: © MANDEL NGAN
