The Albany Gazette - Taekwondo star Hamidi sacrifices her freedom to battle the Taliban

The 22-year-old's defiance of Afghanistan's governing Taliban fits well with her coming from "a family of freedom fighters."

Her father fought in the Afghanistan army and then alongside the late mujahideen leader Ahmed Shah Massoud before moving to Iran.

Hamidi's weapon has been her voice, since coming to France in December 2021 after living for a few months under Taliban rule when they seized power again in August that year.

However, her no-holds-barred criticisms of the Taliban had serious repercussions.

Last September she was granted police protection after receiving 5,000 calls, including 500 threatening to either murder or rape her.

French prosecutors opened an investigation in September after her lawyer Ines Davau lodged a legal complaint for cyber-harassment and death threats, as well as threats of rape.

Remarkably, the erudite and passionate Hamidi -- formerly Afghanistan's national champion at -57 kilos and with a ranking in the top 100 in the world -- sees the positive side.

"It means that I have more power than them, because I always talk about the situation," she told AFP at Davau's office in Paris.

"This time I talk about more details, because it's not to boycott Taliban, it's also to boycott who are normalising them.

"It can be an athlete, an artist, activist."

She believes in particular that the men's Afghan cricket federation has close links to the Taliban and should be boycotted by their opponents.

Hamidi, whose sporting aim is to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has an Afghan passport and a 10-year French residency permit.

She said it was her duty to harangue the Taliban and their supporters.

The Taliban has imposed an austere version of Islamic law that the United Nations has labelled "gender apartheid" and Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary school and university. The Taliban authorities claim Islamic law "guarantees" the rights of all Afghans.

"I have to fight, because I was stuck there three months," said Hamidi.

"I saw that the system is against women, how they are making it a bad place for everyone.

"So because of that, I'm talking about this."

Hamidi, who was born in Iran and returned with her family to live in Afghanistan in 2020, remains in touch with friends back home.

"Each time is bad when I talk with them."

- 'Feel so lonely' -

Hamidi says wearing the burqa is repugnant -- a 2022 edict by the supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said women should wear the garment but many just wear headscarves and long coats.

"I think this is the end of humanity. Like, you cannot breathe.

"You put on the burqa. It's like you put yourself in a prison when you walk in the city."

Hamidi's way of life in France is restricted in a manner which would be alien to ordinary people.

Phone calls have to be made to cinemas and restaurants alerting them to her coming, accompanied by a police bodyguard, and to ensure it is "a safe area."

Her frustration boils over at times.

"I mean, at my age, it's too much for me, you know, like, I just want to live free and to go crazy," she said.

"I'm proud of my fight, I'm not regretful of my fight, but I'm sad what's going on in my life because of that.

"This is costing my safety, my freedom, my joy in life."

She has the unconditional support of her parents, three sisters and brother -- who live at an undisclosed location.

"It's the spirit of my parents that they are combatants," said Hamidi, who managed to see them recently.

"They really have this spirit to fight against this Taliban ideology.

"Because of that, they always support me.

"Sometimes my mum tells me, 'calm down, Marzieh'. But, it's my mom. She's stressing for me.

"My father, he's like, no, no, no, keep going, keep going."

Hamidi, whose sole company largely consists of her PR representative Baptiste Berard Proust and Davau, says things are bleak at times.

"At the end of the day, it's me facing this," she said.

"Sometimes I feel so lonely, even if I have good people around me.

"I'm kind of lost, sometimes it's difficult to keep the balance in life for me.

"It's a lot of pressure, because the most important thing for me is my taekwondo."

She admits she is "really afraid". nevertheless her indomitable spirit ensures she remains unbowed.

"If I stay silent, they win."

(D.Sanchez--TAG)