My Forbidden Face

Description

Latifa was born in Kabul in 1980 into an educated, middle-class Afghan family. Her father worked in trade, and her mother was a doctor. Like many teenagers, Latifa loved fashion, movies, and spending time with friends. She also dreamed of becoming a journalist.

Everything changed in September 1996, when the Taliban seized Kabul. Latifa was only 16. Overnight, she became a prisoner in her own home. Her school was closed, her mother was banned from working, and she was forced to wear a chadri. Even simple freedoms—like walking outside or looking out a window—were taken away.

Her memoir, My Forbidden Face, is a deeply personal account of those years. With painful honesty, Latifa describes how her world fell apart under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of religion. Her voice reflects both lost innocence and the strength to hope for freedom.

In 2001, Latifa and her parents managed to escape Afghanistan with the help of a French-based Afghan resistance group. Her story remains a moving testimony of life under oppression and the resilience to fight for a better future.