Afghans bury woman beaten to death by mob

KABUL - Agence France-Presse

Civil society activists and relatives pray during the funeral of 27-year-old Farkhunda, an Afghan woman who was beaten to death by a mob, during her funeral, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, March 22, 2015. AP Photo

Hundreds of people on March 22 attended the burial of an Afghan woman who was beaten to death and set on fire by a mob for allegedly burning a copy of the Koran.
      
The body of Farkhunda, 27, who was lynched on Thursday by an angry mob in central Kabul, was carried to the graveyard by women amid crowds of men, an AFP reporter said, a rare act of protest in a male-dominated society.        

The crowd, shouting "Allah o Akbar" (God is greatest), demanded the government bring the killers to justice.        

"This is a crime against this family, a crime against a sister and a crime against humanity," said Bari Salam, a human rights activist.       

"All those involved and all those who supported her killing should be brought to justice."        

Farkhunda's father told the media that his daughter had a diploma in Islamic studies and could recite the Koran by heart. He insisted she was not involved in burning the Muslim holy book.        

The lynching sparked widespread condemnation at home and worldwide.         

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the killing as "heinous" and ordered a commission to investigate the incident.         

The United Nations also  condemned the lynching and said Farkhunda had "suffered mental illness for many years".  
     
Police said they have arrested eleven people in connection with the incident.        

In 2012 the revelation that copies of the Koran had been burnt at the US-run Bagram prison sparked five days of violent anti-US riots and attacks across the country, in which 30 people died.