Kriti Mehrotra
With ‘In Her Hands’ essentially charting how a young female politician tries to stand her ground as the Taliban takes over Afghanistan again, we get an insight into the raw reality of fanaticism. However, the Netflix original does offer some hope through individuals like Mayor Zarifa Ghafari’s fiancé Bashir Mohammadi, who undeniably, unwaveringly stood by her every step of the way. In other words, his mere presence indicates that there is light and change is possible — but for now, if you simply wish to learn more about the couple’s relationship, we’ve got the details for you.
Zarifa and Bashir’s In Her Hands Journey
Although precisely when Zarifa first came across Bashir or their road to falling in love is unclear, we do know they’d both held high-ranking government jobs back in their homeland until 2021. In fact, the Director of Information & Culture at its Ministry (2007-2021) was the one to convince her that she should apply for a Mayoral position when slots opened up for 11 provinces in 2018. He knew Zarifa would do a great job despite any resistance or threats she would face, and he was right — the fact she became the youngest appointed Mayor in Afghanistan at 26 was just a plus.
“Me and the whole nation are so proud of you,” Bashir told his fiancée while she was getting ready to leave for Washington to be honored with the International Women of Courage award in early 2020. Later, per the documentary, he said, “Love you. Love you, Love you… I am so, so, so proud. You’re the pride of the nation and that’s enough. You won’t die unless we are dead. First, I will die and then you. Then, we both will enter paradise and live there forever, okay?”
On the other hand, Zarifa admitted that “my dear Bashir is why I smile. When he realized that I had found my mission in life, he stood beside me. And he has encouraged me in all my work. He has applauded, enjoyed, and celebrated… I am perhaps the luckiest Afghan woman to have a partner like him.” It thus comes as no surprise they’d decided to tie the knot long ago. And she even fought her father for him when he got mad over the fiancé often coming over to her residence before they’d truly sanctified their relationship in marriage.
Are Zarifa and Bashir Married?
From what we can tell, Zarifa and Bashir were still only engaged by the time they had to leave their homeland owing to the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, yet they’ve since tied the knot. Neither of them has explicitly revealed any details of their nuptials as of writing, or if at all it was something they made a day out of, but it is evident they remain entirely devoted to one another. We should mention the couple has settled down in the small town of Bonn in Germany as refugees, from where they continue to work for the betterment of their country.
While Bashir is a professional journalist with over 14 years of experience in media, youth affairs, and cultural & historical events management, his partner Zarifa is a human rights activist, politician, economist, and author. Moreover, the travel enthusiasts are both entrepreneurs as well, co-owning and running the women’s rights-focused Peghla FM Radio back in Afghanistan.
Read More: Where is Zarifa Ghafari Now?
