The vicious murder of a 27-year-old woman named Farkhunda has stoked outrage among everyday Afghans who are fighting back against abuse of women and Islamic extremism.
Farkhunda was attacked by a mob in Kabul on Thursday after being accused of burning the Quran. She was beaten, run over by a car, and burned before her body was tossed in the muddy Kabul River.
Afghan authorities have confirmed there’s zero evidence that she even burned a Quran, and her parents say she was murdered for calling out a mullah on a practice seem as un-Islamic — he then wanted revenge and incited the mob.
“I want all the judicial institutions to prosecute the perpetrators,” her father, Nadir, told Tolo News. “I don’t want blood of my daughter go in vain.” Her mother stressed she was “proud” of her daughter, who “sacrificed her life for the right path.”
Afghanistan’s interior ministry suspended 13 police officers and officials in the investigation; videos show nearby police watched as Farkhunda was attacked. The mullah who incited the mob has been arrested along with a dozen others. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has also appointed a fact-finding team to investigate the murder. There’s copious video of the savage mob attack online.
But the strongest messages are being sent by Afghans, who are taking to the streets until justice is realized.
When Farkhunda was buried on Sunday, it was women who carried her coffin to the cemetery.
Women carried #farkhunda‘s coffin. First time ever in history pic.twitter.com/7GY1IZx6GR
— Omid Farooq (@OmidFarooq) March 22, 2015
Afghan women set the record straight: No man should carry coffin of a woman killed by men. #Afghanistan #Farkhunda pic.twitter.com/kqHYDmI2d4 — Saleem Javed (@mSaleemJaved) March 22, 2015
Women have had enough.This pic epitomizes that the only way forward is to take things into our own hands. #Farkhunda pic.twitter.com/ZyFNgS8FMn — King سميرة (@SamiraaSR) March 22, 2015
Today, men shielded women as they carried #Farkhunda‘s casket. If only Farkhunda had bn afforded the same treatment. pic.twitter.com/3eDZcL8xx3
— Bethany E. Matta (@BethanyMatta) March 22, 2015
This influential hypocrite Mullah 1st praised #Farkhunda‘s killing, then came to her funeral but chased away by ppl. pic.twitter.com/Bdku9alLCg
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) March 22, 2015
I like this slogan “death to Mullahs death to extremism” in funeral ceremony of #Farkhunda. #Kabul pic.twitter.com/44GI0k2ldV — Parwiz Shamal (@PShamal) March 22, 2015
Ppl stopping Maulavi Niazi who was trying attend #Farkhunda‘s funeral in #Kbl, Niazi had justified Farkhudan’s death pic.twitter.com/6M8hqqzBsp — Salih Mohammad Salih (@iamsalih) March 23, 2015
Ramin Anwari, a 30-year-old activist, called the funeral “history-making and revolutionary,” according to the Telegraph.
“For the first time I saw visible anger at mullahs whose twisting of Islamic law have caused so much suffering in Afghanistan,” he said.
The protests are just heating up, and the pressure is on politicians who try to justify Farkhunda’s murder.
The two Afghan MPs who earlier supported the brutal murder of #Farkhunda, have both apologized to the people in separate Facebook messages.
— Mustafa W. Kazemi ن (@CombatJourno) March 22, 2015
#Afghanistan: Hundreds of Afghans protests against the lynching of #Farkhunda. pic.twitter.com/NM6YwR0N1e
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) March 23, 2015
hrw: RT astroehlein: Afghan protesters demand justice for #Farkhunda, wearing masks of her bloodied face … pic.twitter.com/wqSPNxOKEw
— Tiago Morais Morgado (@tmoraismorgado) March 23, 2015
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