Protests grow in kabal over lynching of Farkunda

BBC News

Protests have been growing in the Afghan capital, Kabul, over the lynching of a woman who was falsely accused of burning the Koran.

More than 2,000 people marched to demand justice for Farkhunda, 28, who was beaten to death by a mob last week.

Tuesday's protests came as the police spokesman for Kabul was sacked for posting a Facebook message endorsing the killing.
Police say they have arrested at least 19 people over the incident. Farkhunda was beaten to death last Thursday after arguing with a mullah about his practice of selling charms to women at a shrine. In the course of the argument she was accused of burning the Koran and a crowd overheard and attacked her.
An official investigator has said there is no evidence she had burned the Koran.

Her action in opposing the mullah has been backed by the Ulema - an influential gathering of Islamic clerics and scholars. At Tuesday's demonstration, some demonstrators carried banners bearing a picture of the bloodied face of Farkhunda, while others painted their own faces red. Marchers chanted "Justice for Farkhunda!" and "Death to the killers!", AP news agency reported.

"It was one of the most brutal actions in the history of humanity... and at the same time it was very close to the palace, it was very close to the police officers but unfortunately there were hundreds of people watching her being killed and taking her movie but nobody reacted to that," said Najla Habibyaar, one of the protesters.

Among the crowd was Fatana Gailani, the head of the Afghanistan Women's Council.

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"We are getting fed up," she told AP. "The new generation has known nothing but war, they are not educated, and now they have no jobs."
Spokesman sacked

The interior ministry said a Kabul police spokesman, Hashmat Stanikzai, had been dismissed over comments he had made on social media supporting the killing of Farkhunda - who like many Afghans went by only one name. Thirteen police officers have already been suspended and face questioning for their part in the affair.

Farkhunda's family accuse the police of standing by and doing nothing while the attack was taking place.

BBC News, 24/03/2015