Courage Under Threat: The Story of Tamana and Zarmina Piryani in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

By Mishal Zia | December 30, 2025 | Kabul, Afghanistan

When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women across the country lost not only their freedoms but also their safety. Resistance came at an unbearable cost for many, as the story of sisters Tamana Piryani and Zarmina Piryani illustrates both the courage of Afghan women and the brutality of the regime that now governs them.

Born and raised in Afghanistan, the sisters became involved in peaceful protests against Taliban rule. Their resistance was symbolic and non-violent: they spoke out online, shared messages on social media, and burned a burqa to protest the severe restrictions imposed on women's lives. The act was meant to highlight how women were being erased from public spaces under the Taliban's interpretation of religion.

A video of the protest spread rapidly on social media. Soon after, Taliban supporters and armed militants publicly declared that the sisters should be beheaded. According to Zarmina, neither she nor her sister anticipated the terror that followed.

In the middle of the night, masked men arrived at their home and attempted to force entry. Fearing sexual violence and arrest, Zarmina made a desperate decision: she jumped from the second floor to prevent the intruders from reaching her bedroom. She survived with minor injuries.

Before this, Tamana had begun recording the incident. She filmed the attempted raid and sent the video to journalists and human rights activists. The footage quickly went viral, drawing international attention to their plight. Zarmina later stated that the video was the only evidence that saved their lives. Despite this, the Taliban publicly denied targeting or arresting them, contradicting the visual proof circulating online.

The Piryani sisters’ experience is not unique. Across Afghanistan, countless women have been silenced, threatened, detained, or forced into hiding. Many have fled the country, while others remain trapped. Girls are barred from education, women are excluded from employment, and public life is increasingly restricted to men alone.

The Taliban claim to rule as "soldiers of God," yet their policies institutionalize misogyny. Child marriage has been legalized, women's autonomy dismantled, and gender apartheid enforced under the guise of religious values. Islam, as lived by millions worldwide, is reduced to a tool of control.

Support for these policies does not come only from armed militants. Some external supporters promote the idea that Afghanistan represents a "pure" Islamic state. In reality, Afghan women pay the price with their bodies, futures, and lives.

The suffering of women like Tamana and Zarmina Piryani exposes a stark truth: under Taliban rule, religion is not a source of compassion or justice, but a weapon used to legitimize violence against women.