An Afghan mayor, who fled to Germany after the Taliban takeover, &nbsp;revealed on Tuesday that the Taliban had a list of persons who took a liberal stance during past internationally recognised governments.

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, recounted the Taliban looking for her at her home and assaulting the security officers stationed there.

The former mayor of Maidan Shahr, which is located west of Kabul, stated that Afghanistan will always be theirs, regardless of who governs the country.&nbsp;

"Afghanistan was ours &amp; it'll remain ours no matter who comes. If women like me are not there now, it's because... just like a tiger who takes two steps back to come back with more force...We have to show to the world the real face of Taliban in Afghanistan, " ANI quoted Ghafari as saying.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> "Afghanistan was ours &amp; it'll remain ours... If women like me are now not there it's because... Just like a tiger who takes two steps back to come back with more force," says Zarifa Ghafari who was one of the country's first female mayors of Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan <a href="https://t.co/Fx42eNQq9J">pic.twitter.com/Fx42eNQq9J</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1430199495946477569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The status of women in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has become one of the most hotly debated topics in recent days, especially after it became clear that the Taliban would run the country.&nbsp;

"They have a list of people who took a liberal approach earlier…Do you know why they (Taliban) are killing people like me? Because they don't want other people to know what they are. They don't want Afghans to stand against them, " Ghafari said.

"I want to talk to the Taliban leaders. I am taking responsibility. I even forget the death of my father. I want to negotiate with them on behalf of every unspoken woman, " she added.

She also addressed the involvement of outside actors such as Pakistan in the ongoing issue.

Pakistan has been accused of assisting the Taliban in their offensive against government forces for a long time.

"Pakistan's role is crystal clear, and every Afghan kid understands it," she stated.&nbsp;

In March 2020, the Trump administration presented Ghafari with the International Women of Courage Award, during which she warned that Afghan women are "always worried for the future" since they "have not forgotten the Taliban's reign."

At the age of 26, Ghafari made history when she became the youngest and first female mayor in Afghanistan's Maidan Wardak province.

Ghafari, like other women who have managed to break free, is now frightened about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

An Afghan mayor, who fled to Germany after the Taliban takeover, revealed on Tuesday that the Taliban had a list of persons who took a liberal stance during past internationally recognised governments.

An Afghan mayor, who fled to Germany after the Taliban takeover, revealed on Tuesday that the Taliban had a list of persons who took a liberal stance during past internationally recognised governments. Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, recounted the Taliban looking for her at her home and assaulting the security officers stationed there. The former mayor of Maidan Shahr, which is located west of Kabul, stated that Afghanistan will always be theirs, regardless of who governs the country. "Afghanistan was ours & it'll remain ours no matter who comes. If women like me are not there now, it's because... just like a tiger who takes two steps back to come back with more force...We have to show to the world the real face of Taliban in Afghanistan, " ANI quoted Ghafari as saying. #WATCH "Afghanistan was ours & it'll remain ours... If women like me are now not there it's because... Just like a tiger who takes two steps back to come back with more force," says Zarifa Ghafari who was one of the country's first female mayors of Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/Fx42eNQq9J — ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2021 × The status of women in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has become one of the most hotly debated topics in recent days, especially after it became clear that the Taliban would run the country. "They have a list of people who took a liberal approach earlier…Do you know why they (Taliban) are killing people like me? Because they don't want other people to know what they are. They don't want Afghans to stand against them, " Ghafari said. "I want to talk to the Taliban leaders. I am taking responsibility. I even forget the death of my father. I want to negotiate with them on behalf of every unspoken woman, " she added. She also addressed the involvement of outside actors such as Pakistan in the ongoing issue. Pakistan has been accused of assisting the Taliban in their offensive against government forces for a long time. "Pakistan's role is crystal clear, and every Afghan kid understands it," she stated. In March 2020, the Trump administration presented Ghafari with the International Women of Courage Award, during which she warned that Afghan women are "always worried for the future" since they "have not forgotten the Taliban's reign." At the age of 26, Ghafari made history when she became the youngest and first female mayor in Afghanistan's Maidan Wardak province. Ghafari, like other women who have managed to break free, is now frightened about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan's role in Afghan crisis is clear, every child knows this: Female Afghan mayor

The fate of women in Afghanistan under Taliban control has been one of the most discussed issues in recent days, especially since it became obvious that the insurgents will take over the nation.

Zarifa Ghafari, who made history in 2018 by becoming Afghanistan's first female mayor, is sitting at home, waiting for the Taliban to come for her.

Ghafari faced a mob of men on her first day in office, but she refused to back down and kept acting as mayor of Maidan Shahr, Wardak province's capital and a Taliban stronghold. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/inside-pictures-of-plane-at-kabul-airport-as-afghans-battle-to-flee-taliban-rule-406237">Inside pictures of plane at Kabul airport as Afghans battle to flee Taliban rule</a>

"I'm sitting here waiting for them to come. There is no one to help me or my family. I'm just sitting with them and my husband. And they will come for people like me and kill me," Zarifa Ghafari, the mayor of Maidan Shar, told the British newspaper i. "I can't leave my family. And anyway, where would I go?"

In March 2020, the Trump administration presented her with the International Women of Courage Award, during which she warned that Afghan women are "always worried for the future" since they "have not forgotten the Taliban's reign." 
 
Watch: Satellite images show crowd at Kabul airport amid Taliban's capture of Kabul

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/satellite-images-show-crowd-at-kabul-airport-amid-talibans-capture-of-kabul-406243/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Women were compelled to wear a burqa, were not permitted to leave the house without a male guardian, were not allowed to work or even go to school when they were in control from 1996 to 2001.

"Younger people are aware of what's happening. They have social media. They communicate. I think they will continue fighting for progress and our rights. I think there is a future for this country," Ghafari said.

At the age of 26, Ghafari made history when she became the youngest and first female mayor in Afghanistan's Maidan Wardak province.

Ghafari, like other women who have managed to break free, is now frightened about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

The fate of women in Afghanistan under Taliban control has been one of the most discussed issues in recent days, especially since it became obvious that the insurgents will take over the nation.

The fate of women in Afghanistan under Taliban control has been one of the most discussed issues in recent days, especially since it became obvious that the insurgents will take over the nation. Zarifa Ghafari, who made history in 2018 by becoming Afghanistan's first female mayor, is sitting at home, waiting for the Taliban to come for her. Ghafari faced a mob of men on her first day in office, but she refused to back down and kept acting as mayor of Maidan Shahr, Wardak province's capital and a Taliban stronghold. Inside pictures of plane at Kabul airport as Afghans battle to flee Taliban rule "I'm sitting here waiting for them to come. There is no one to help me or my family. I'm just sitting with them and my husband. And they will come for people like me and kill me," Zarifa Ghafari, the mayor of Maidan Shar, told the British newspaper i. "I can't leave my family. And anyway, where would I go?" In March 2020, the Trump administration presented her with the International Women of Courage Award, during which she warned that Afghan women are "always worried for the future" since they "have not forgotten the Taliban's reign." Watch: Satellite images show crowd at Kabul airport amid Taliban's capture of Kabul Women were compelled to wear a burqa, were not permitted to leave the house without a male guardian, were not allowed to work or even go to school when they were in control from 1996 to 2001. "Younger people are aware of what's happening. They have social media. They communicate. I think they will continue fighting for progress and our rights. I think there is a future for this country," Ghafari said. At the age of 26, Ghafari made history when she became the youngest and first female mayor in Afghanistan's Maidan Wardak province. Ghafari, like other women who have managed to break free, is now frightened about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies)

'Waiting for Taliban to kill me and others like me', says Afghanistan's first woman mayor

After two and a half millennia of being ruled by men, Rome will wake up on Monday under new management. 
 
Virginia Raggi was&nbsp;elected on Sunday as the Italian capital&#39;s first female mayor, sweeping into city hall on the ticket of the populist Five Star movement (M5S) with the backing of two thirds of voters. 
 
A Roman born and bred, the 37-year-old lawyer is a political novice but the campaign saw her grow increasingly assured in her public performances as it became clear she was on course for victory. 
 
According to her website, mountain hikes, swimming and skiing are among the favourite pastimes of the Dire Straits fan who won plaudits during the campaign for her effortless elegance in the style-conscious Eternal City. 
 
Friends say her gentle manner belies a steely core. 
 
Raggi only entered politics five years ago, drawn in by her husband&#39;s support for M5S founder Beppe Grillo&#39;s declaration of war on the establishment and traditional political parties. 
 
The movement&#39;s anti-corruption theme struck a chord in Rome, where the centre-left mayor was forced to resign last year over an expenses scandal only months after it emerged the city had been haemorrhaging cash to organised crime. 
 
In a narrative she exploited relentlessly on the campaign trail, Raggi told AFP it was the birth of her son Matteo that convinced her she had to do something about the dilapidated city, once the capital of an empire, now plagued by potholes and rubbish. 
 
Elected to the city council in 2013, Raggi, a specialist in intellectual property, was quickly noticed for her eloquence and stubbornness. 
 
Growing up in the Saint John Lateran area of Rome, close to the Colosseum and historic centre, she was a studious child&nbsp;and a stubborn one, by her own account. 
 
&quot;I was a curious young girl, interested in many things, but very focused, as I am today. Determination never failed me,&quot; she said. 
 
 
Unflinching 
 
M5S held its primary for mayoral candidates online, and Raggi was quickly picked as a frontrunner thanks to a slick video presentation. 
 
It wasn&#39;t long before her dark eyes and chiselled features were staring out from posters in underground stations and on the side of the late-arriving buses that helped to put her in power. 
 
Public transport was one of the key issues Raggi&#39;s campaign focused on as she vowed to undo 20 years of stagnation, corruption and administrative mismanagement. 
 
Critics have said the challenges of running Rome will be too much for a political ingenue and that the party will pay a price for getting its hands dirty in the day-to-day grind of running a near-bankrupt sprawling metropolis. 
 
Raggi can however count on a honeymoon period and a new role as the poster girl of a movement looking to shore up its identity after founder Grillo decided to take a step back from politics and focus on his stand-up comedy. 
 
Rome&#39;s hard-to-please citizens appear to have embraced University of Rome graduate, admiring how Raggi, narrowing her eyes in a television debate between the candidates, bore the attacks of opponents without flinching. 
 
At the end of the feisty exchanges she softened her tone and appealed to voters with a simple message: &quot;If you want nothing to change, vote for them&quot;. 
 
One of her biggest challenges will be convincing the city she can act independently, despite signing a contract with M5S in which she pledged to toe the party line and consult it on all major administrative decisions. 
 
&quot;Four or six eyes are better than two&quot; she said in defence of that arrangement, while insisting she will be very much her own woman. 
(AFP)

The 37-year-old lawyer is the first woman to rule eternal city in two-and-a-half millenia

After two and a half millennia of being ruled by men, Rome will wake up on Monday under new management. Virginia Raggi was elected on Sunday as the Italian capital's first female mayor, sweeping into city hall on the ticket of the populist Five Star movement (M5S) with the backing of two thirds of voters. A Roman born and bred, the 37-year-old lawyer is a political novice but the campaign saw her grow increasingly assured in her public performances as it became clear she was on course for victory. According to her website, mountain hikes, swimming and skiing are among the favourite pastimes of the Dire Straits fan who won plaudits during the campaign for her effortless elegance in the style-conscious Eternal City. Friends say her gentle manner belies a steely core. Raggi only entered politics five years ago, drawn in by her husband's support for M5S founder Beppe Grillo's declaration of war on the establishment and traditional political parties. The movement's anti-corruption theme struck a chord in Rome, where the centre-left mayor was forced to resign last year over an expenses scandal only months after it emerged the city had been haemorrhaging cash to organised crime. In a narrative she exploited relentlessly on the campaign trail, Raggi told AFP it was the birth of her son Matteo that convinced her she had to do something about the dilapidated city, once the capital of an empire, now plagued by potholes and rubbish. Elected to the city council in 2013, Raggi, a specialist in intellectual property, was quickly noticed for her eloquence and stubbornness. Growing up in the Saint John Lateran area of Rome, close to the Colosseum and historic centre, she was a studious child and a stubborn one, by her own account. "I was a curious young girl, interested in many things, but very focused, as I am today. Determination never failed me," she said. Unflinching M5S held its primary for mayoral candidates online, and Raggi was quickly picked as a frontrunner thanks to a slick video presentation. It wasn't long before her dark eyes and chiselled features were staring out from posters in underground stations and on the side of the late-arriving buses that helped to put her in power. Public transport was one of the key issues Raggi's campaign focused on as she vowed to undo 20 years of stagnation, corruption and administrative mismanagement. Critics have said the challenges of running Rome will be too much for a political ingenue and that the party will pay a price for getting its hands dirty in the day-to-day grind of running a near-bankrupt sprawling metropolis. Raggi can however count on a honeymoon period and a new role as the poster girl of a movement looking to shore up its identity after founder Grillo decided to take a step back from politics and focus on his stand-up comedy. Rome's hard-to-please citizens appear to have embraced University of Rome graduate, admiring how Raggi, narrowing her eyes in a television debate between the candidates, bore the attacks of opponents without flinching. At the end of the feisty exchanges she softened her tone and appealed to voters with a simple message: "If you want nothing to change, vote for them". One of her biggest challenges will be convincing the city she can act independently, despite signing a contract with M5S in which she pledged to toe the party line and consult it on all major administrative decisions. "Four or six eyes are better than two" she said in defence of that arrangement, while insisting she will be very much her own woman. (AFP)

Virginia Raggi elected mayor of Rome