Playing For Freedom

Even before the Taliban’s return to power, the UN declared Afghanistan the worst place on earth to be born a woman. But Zarifa Adiba had big dreams.

As a young girl, Zarifa taught herself English from YouTube videos. To this day, she can recite speeches given by her absolute hero and role model, Michelle Obama. When she learned of a music school in Kabul that accepted both girls and boys on full scholarship – the only one of its kind in the region – it became her dream to become a concert musician.

It seemed an unfathomable dream – she is a Hazara, part of a long oppressed Shiite minority, her family poor and uneducated. Growing up, all decisions – whether big or small – were subject to the approval of her male relatives. Music was largely considered haram, sinful and proscribed by Islamic law. Not to mention the fact that she had no background in music. Against all odds, she prepared herself tirelessly for the audition, and was accepted. But the challenges didn’t stop there. In spite of the day-to-day violence, dogmatism and threats she faced in pursuit of her goals, Zarifa persevered, armed with her viola and her unrelenting determination.

And thus began an incredible story of emancipation. When she was just 18, Zarifa became the lead violist, conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in her country and the Muslim world – a triumph that eventually took her all the way to perform at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

This is the story of Zarifa’s extraordinary journey, and what hope remains for girls like her in today’s Afghanistan.