Her name is Qomandana (commander) Firoza. She lives in Helmand, Afghanistan. The Taliban killed three of her sons. She carried weapon. The Taliban have killed 30 members of her 60-member family throughout the years.

First, they martyred this son of mine. After this son of mine was martyred, I took weapon. After that, my son was martyred, then my other son. I lost my sons and took weapons, so how can I accept them? We lost three people. We are a family with 60 members. If another 60 persons are needed, we are ready to sacrifice for this government, but we will not accept the Taliban’s power, nor can they come by force. Well, we have lost everything in war, lost our children. We still fight with them and will keep fighting even if my whole family is killed, but we will never accept them by force. We know each other’s powers, and we know each other’s courage. When you and I know each other, I do not care about anything because they are not as powerful as us. If they want to make peace, we will make peace with them, and if they’re going to fight, we will battle them. If the Taliban comes and accepts the government, then we are all brothers. But, if the Taliban says to the government that women cannot work, be soldiers, and serve, no school… this is all illiteracy, and no one will accept them. What do they have? They live in the mountains and come fighting here. It is all destruction, and no one agrees with that. No. They have no power, none. It is all propaganda. If they had power, they would not consult with me, nor with you, and not with anyone else. It is all propaganda, and they are no one at all. You have a weapon, so do I, and you come to tell me that you are more powerful than me. You are not! We are at our homes, and you come from this hole and the other. My home and place are known. If you had the courage, your home and business would have been known as well. Why do you (Taliban) spend the nights at the mosque? Why are people’s houses? Why do you ruin people’s homes? That is all your power. If people estimate, you have no ability at all. No. We have everything; we have a king (president), ministers, directors, governors, and commanders. This is our government, and it will be in its place with this king; either this or another king, but they cannot enforce their king upon us, not by force. Maybe our government gives them any position, but the government has the first day, and they must obey it like a soldier.

Qomandan Firoza