Taliban condemn Farkhunda murder

[Bengal_Tiger]

Afghan Taliban vow to punish those responsible for lynching woman



By Tahir KhanPublished: March 24, 2015



ISLAMABAD: As protests for lynching an Afghan woman over the false accusation of blasphemy in Kabul continue, Afghan Taliban vowed on Tuesday to punish those responsible for her brutal murder.

Farkhunda, 27, was lynched on Thursday by an angry crowd in central Kabul for allegedly burning a copy of Quran.

Terming the act as a conspiracy to mislead people about Islamic injunction, the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said, “It is now proven that it was a conspiracy by few individuals. The Islamic Emirate condemns those who hatched this conspiracy to misuse Quran for killing an innocent human being. We also convey condolences to her family.”

Read: Afghan mob lynches, burns woman to death in Kabul





In a statement issued in Pashto language, the spokesperson said, “We believe that thousands such people have returned to Afghanistan with the American invasion, who are bent upon misleading the people about Islamic injunctions.”

Announcing the severe punishment for those involved in the heinous act, the group said the punishment would serve as deterrence against repetition of any such acts.

“We have decided to give severe punishment to those who are behind the killing of the innocent woman, provoked people for their sinister designs, and misused Quran for personal motives to avoid repetition of such incidents in future.”



According to Afghan media reports, Farkhunda was killed in the presence of several policemen, who instead of saving the women acted as mere spectators.

In a statement on Sunday, the Afghan interior ministry said 13 police officers had been suspended, including the police chief responsible for the area. More than a dozen other people were arrested over the incident.



Afghan Interior Minister Noorulhaq Ulumi told the parliament on Monday that Farkhunda was innocent.

She was a teacher of Quran and she could not commit such a crime, her family was quoted as saying.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/858383/afghan-taliban-vow-to-punish-those-responsible-for-lynching-woman/

[Bengal_Tiger]

Farkhunda Tragedy, my thoughts

This is a huge moment in the history of Afghanistan and also a major moment in the history of the Muslim world and thus in humanity at large for the Muslim world constitutes between a 5th to a 4th of humanity.


A definitive moment.


In the history of many different nations and societies there is some times a key moment or incident which sparks change, perhaps there is latent underlying tension or resentment and this particular incident serves as a focal point for all this resentment, hurt and feeling of injustice to be energized, harnessed and directed towards a certain goal.

One such moment was the Rosa Parks incident in the USA, where an African-American woman refused to stand up from her bus seat and go to the back as per the norms of that time signifying the inferiority of black people and the dominance of the white man.




The tragic death of Farkhunda (rahmatullahi 'alaih) is akin to this event.

Though Farkhunda has died (Allah yarhumha), she lives on. Insha'Allah she has died as a shaheeda (martyr) and is in paradise as a victim of a brutal killing.

However she is we pray in a better place, a place far better, far more peaceful and joyous than this limited existence that we experience here in this world.

Her killing has already made such an impact that even the Taliban a byword for misogny and retrogressive practices have condemned her murder and promised to punish the perpetrators.

Yes, even the Taliban.

The same Taliban that treated women like animals.






This is indicative of a different age, to the age that Afghans endured in the late 90s under the tyranny of Pakistani-backed Taliban rule.

We are now in the age of the internet and the social media and the Taliban sense the pulse of Afghan society and thus condemn this murder. They recognize the sentiments of the people and seek thus to declare what they believe will please the people.

The Taliban themselves are not that important and insha'Allah will be defeated intellectually and physically.

What is important is that even the most extreme and conservative element of Afghan society has condemned this murder.

The whole nation is united.

The voice of the Afghan nation is in unison.

This is wrong.

This is immoral.

No.

No more.

We want change.

The times are changing.

Let us put this in to perspective, to make sense of all this.

A woman went out on the streets to confront male taboos a few weeks before Farkhunda's death.



She did this to protest sexual harassment.

Some jeered her.

However she made an impact.

She is challenging taboos and injustices.

A man, not a woman, went even further.

He gave the most important thing of all.

He gave his life.




*







In February, a man by the name of Feroz, went to the president's palace to protest against the injustice taking place against women, after the kidnapping of the girl he loved.

Hearing the news, Feroz arrived to Kabul to complain and seek justice from the security organizations, but his attempt in seeking justice was neglected. According to his father, he then wrote a letter to his family and loved ones that he will set himself ablaze.

His father, Abdul Saboor, calls his son a hero because "he burned himself for his sisters and mothers of the country. This was his way of transferring the message of justice to the world."

"Feroz did not commit suicide. This was a message to everyone, to the people to stand up against injustice and not to just stand there and be silent and watch the cruelty take place. The powerful people in charge did nothing."

Feroz

Feroz burnt himself and ultimately died in hospital.

However now a man far away living in London is writing about him, thousands of miles away from his homeland.

Perhaps a thousand people read this and learn about Feroz.

The word of Feroz spreads and his message, for the rights of Afghan women spreads.



*


A month later after Feroz's death a group of young Afghan men, the future, the new generation, the educated elite don women's clothing to protest for the rights of women.








Unfortunately many who usually speak including tyrants, dictators have not spoken about this.

Erdogan has not spoken about this, Obama has not spoken about this.

Others too, better than them.

Malala Yusufzai has not spoken about this.




However we pray to Allah ta'ala for an end to the suffering of women through out the world and including the Muslim lands, in Bangladesh, in Afghankhwa, in Pakhtunkhwa and through out the ummah.

We pray for Farkhunda.

May Allah give her jannah ameen.

May Allah help her family and loved ones in this difficult time.

Allahumma sallee 'alaa sayyidina Muhammad wa 'alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa ummatihi wa kullul mursaleen.

Ameen thumma ameen.

#iamfarkhunda

#justice4farkhunda

[Brown Skinned Savage]

I saw some of your old posts; you were clearly a Taliban supporter a few years ago. I guess you've switched to other Pashtun killers like Ex-KGB member Putin.

[Toramana]

I saw some of your old posts; you were clearly a Taliban supporter a few years ago. I guess you've switched to other Pashtun killers like Ex-KGB member Putin.

Mr. Savage, how can you invent such a ridiculous blame? Stop drawing attention to yourself by being a trawl.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Student community in New Delhi demand justice for ‘Afghanistan’s daughter’





A peaceful protest demonstration against the brutal killing of Farkhunda was held at Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University, New Delhi on Thursday.

BY ZARIZA CORRESPONDENT PUBLISHED 2015-03-26 | 23:00:00 286 Print | Email

A day after Afghan students held a candle-light vigil at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi against the brutal killing of Farkhunda, a bigger protest demonstration was held at Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University, New Delhi on Thursday.

Hundreds of students and teachers took part in a peaceful demonstration held inside the JMI campus, which was organized by a group of Afghan students in New Delhi.

Carrying posters, banners and placards with Farkhunda’s pictures, the protestors demanded justice for Farkhunda and exemplary punishment to the men accused of committing the grotesque crime.



The highlight of the protest was a theatrical play performed by the students of JMI University, showing a group of men lynching a helpless woman, recreating the scene of that tragic event.

Many students and teachers delivered passionate speeches during the protest and condemned the incident in strongest possible terms.

“It is a horrendous crime that has no justification at all,” said Prof. S.A.M Pasha from Department of Political Science at JMI University. “As people of conscience, it is our sacred duty to speak for oppressed people and demand justice for them.”

Farkhunda, 27, was violently lynched by an unruly mob outside the historic Shah Do Shamshira mosque in Kabul on Thursday for allegedly desecrating Holy Quran inside a local shrine.

The allegation has been dismissed by police officials, as preliminary investigation suggests the victim had not desecrated Holy Quran.

According to her family, Farkhunda had a heated argument with some Mullahs masquerading as faith healers who sell amulets (Tawez) to people at a local shrine.

One senior Mullah raised an alarm and asked people to “punish her” for “desecrating Holy Quran”.

“There was chaos all around, people were beating her ruthlessly and calling her an American agent,” said Baseer, an eye-witness.

“She kept pleading with them, but the mob was uncontrollable, and even the policemen present there were unable to stop the mayhem,” he adds.

Many protest demonstrations have been held in past few days and the slogan of “Justice for Farkhunda” has been reverberating across the country.

On Tuesday, thousands of people poured into the streets of Kabul, chanting vociferous slogans against the men accused of killing Farkhunda.

According to the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA), 21 people have been arrested so far, including a Mullah (cleric) who ordered the mob to “punish her”.

- See more at: http://www.afghanzariza.com/2015/03/....xCfap6zj.dpuf

[Bengal_Tiger]

[Bengal_Tiger]

Dr. Abdullah meets Farkhunda’s family; says all perpetrators would be brought to justice



Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah with the family members of Farkhunda at her home in Kabul on Friday

BY ZARIZA CORRESPONDENT PUBLISHED 2015-04-04 | 12:25:00

In a show of solidarity with the bereaved family, Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah visited the house of Farkhunda on Friday and met her family members.

Dr. Abdullah expressed condolences to the family of 27-year-old Farkhunda and said all the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Farkhunda was gruesomely lynched by an unruly mob outside the historic Shah Do Shamshira mosque in Kabul two weeks ago for allegedly desecrating a copy of Holy Quran inside a local shrine.

However, on Thursday, the commission appointed by President Ashraf Ghani to investigate the killing of 27-year-old Farkhunda declared her innocent.

The members of commission, addressing a press conference in Kabul, said the slain woman had not burned a copy of Holy Quran and all the allegations leveled against her were false.

There have been many protest demonstrations across Afghanistan against the killing of Farkhunda, who had a diploma in Islamic Studies and was about to take up a teaching job


Dr. Abdullah said the government has taken the matter seriously and all efforts would be taken to ensure such cases do not recur in future.

Farkhunda’s family has criticized police for failing to swing into action on time to save Farkhunda and demanded stringent punishment to cops who were present when the incident happened.

Dr. Abdullah assured thorough investigation into the involvement of police personnel.

Farkhunda’s father asked Dr. Abdullah to provide security to his daughters who have been scarred by the incident and are scared to move out of their home.

Maulwi Mohayudin Baloch, who headed the government-appointed commission that investigated the incident, was also present on the occasion.

He called it a “grotesque crime” against a woman who had memorized Holy Quran and could never have desecrated it.

Mr. Baloch called on the security agencies to arrest all people involved in the inciden who are absconding since the incident took place two weeks ago.
Farkhunda’s family has criticized police for failing to swing into action on time to save Farkhunda and demanded stringent punishment to cops who were present when the incident happened

Last week, chairing a meeting of the council of ministers, Dr. Abdullah condemned the killing of Farkhunda and urged the judicial authorities to ensure speedy and fair trial of accused men.

“It was a heinous crime and I strongly condemn it,” said Dr. Abdullah. “The judiciary must give stringent punishment to the accused men for the grotesque crime they committed”.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA) has so far arrested 48 people involved in the crime, including a Mullah who allegedly provoked mob to “punish her”.

The slogan of ‘Justice for Farkhunda’ has been reverberating outside the country as well. Many demonstrations have been held in New York, London, New Delhi, Toronto and other major cities of the world against the killing of Farkhunda.


- See more at: http://www.afghanzariza.com/2015/04/....K4Dy05Dh.dpuf