In a horrific incident , an Afghan woman that was said to be mentally ill, was brutally beaten by the public and then set ablaze. Her alleged crime, which has yet to be proven, was burning a few pages of Koran.
The video recorded by a bystander, of the angry mob mercilessly beating a mentally ill woman top her death, before burning and throwing her body on the river-side for being accused of burning a Koran, has sent waves of shock throughout the world.
The footage shows dozens of men, relentlessly and brutally punching, kicking, beating, and later stoning the women, first with bare hands and feet. Thereafter they resort to hitting her with sticks and bricks. Hundreds of other men can be seen watching impassively as the appalling incident unfolds before them.
Afghan’s Tolo News Agency later got in touch with the parents of the woman, named only as Farkhunda. They shared that their daughter had been suffering from mental illness for the past 16 years. However, owing to the limited medical facilities and the stigma associated with such forms of conditions prevented them from seeking medical attention. Moreover, it isn’t hard to fathom the difficulty associated with getting someone, let alone a grown women, being treated for mental disorders especially in regions where western medicines are often banned by religious leaders.
Despite her unstable conditions, her parents, who have been taken into police custody fearing their safety after the incident, repeatedly said that she had not intentionally burnt the Koran.
The fatal lynching surprisingly occurred near Shah-e Doh Shamshira mosque. The mosque is located in the heart of Kabul. Though the video doesn’t show how the lynching originated, eye-witnesses later revealed the mob was angry because they suspected the woman had burned a few pages of Koran near the place. The video recorded the sheer brutality with which the mob rained punches and kicks. Even when the woman succumbed to the beatings, the crowd did not stop lynching her.
If that’s not all, the mob then lit her limp body on fire and pushed the burning carcass off a ledge, where it lay by the riverside until firefighters came and extinguished the flames.
Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi confirmed the incident to the press, but refrained from offering any details. He, however, assured that the police are doing their best and have already arrested four in connection to the heinous murder of a ‘mentally ill’ woman.
Owing to the graphic footage, such barbaric acts have come to light. Unfortunately though, such incidents are quite common in these regions that aren’t governed by a competent authority or not governed at all.
[Image Credit | Tolo News Agency]