Murder of Farkhunda Malikzada

Farkhunda Malikzada was a 27-year-old woman who was publicly lynched by an angry mob in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 19, 2015. She was savagely beaten and killed after allegedly arguing with a mullah who falsely accused her of burning the Quran. A large crowd of Muslims formed in the streets around her claiming that she had burned the Quran, and for that, her accusers announced that she must be sent to Hell right away. Police initially tried to protect her and disperse the radical mob, but were overwhelmed by the mob’s number and fury. Her murder led to 49 arrests; three adult men received twenty-year prison sentences.

About Murder of Farkhunda Malikzada in brief

Summary Murder of Farkhunda MalikzadaFarkhunda Malikzada was a 27-year-old woman who was publicly lynched by an angry mob in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 19, 2015. She was savagely beaten and killed after allegedly arguing with a mullah who falsely accused her of burning the Quran. A large crowd of Muslims formed in the streets around her claiming that she had burned the Quran, and for that, her accusers announced that she must be sent to Hell right away. Police initially tried to protect her and disperse the radical mob, but were overwhelmed by the mob’s number and fury. Her murder led to 49 arrests; three adult men received twenty-year prison sentences, eight other adult males received sixteen year sentences, a minor received a ten-year sentence, and eleven police officers received one-year jail terms for failing to protection her. A memorial to her has been built in Kabul with support of the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Kabul on 23 March to protest her brutal death. She had just finished a degree in religious studies and was preparing to take a teaching post. Her name means ‘auspicious’ and ‘jubilation’ in Persian language. Like many in Afghanistan, she was an observant Muslim who wore a veil.

At the time of the attack, she had just finish a degree  in religious studies. She said: ‘This is not a male or female issue, this is a human issue and we will not stop her.’ She was bludgeoned with sticks and rocks outside the mosque, then placed into the road and run over with a car, dragging her body 300 feet. Police offered no resistance, and directed traffic around the scene. The mob then dragged her body to the nearby bank of the Kabul River, took turns stoning her and set her on fire; her body was soaked in blood and would not burn, so the crowd ripped off articles of their own clothing to ignite and maintain the fire. Her parents said the killing was instigated by the mullah Fark hunda had been speaking to. According to Tolo News he loudly accused her ofburning the Quran ‘in order to save his job and life’ An eyewitness said that the mob was chanting anti-American and anti-democratic slogans while beating Farkhunda. A number of prominent public officials turned to Facebook immediately after the death to endorse the murder. ‘I am a Muslim, and Muslims do not burn the Quran!’