Show Of Solidarity In Iceland Today For Murdered Afghan Woman

Iceland’s Afghan community is calling upon everyone to meet at Reykjavík City Hall today at 16:00, to take part in A Moment of Silence for a woman who was viciously murdered in Afghanistan last week.

The woman in question, Farkhunda, was beaten to death by an angry mob in Kabul, falsely accused of having burned the Koran. Fatima Hussaini, one of the organisers of today’s event, told the Grapevine why she believes Icelanders should take part in today’s event.

“I believe violence against women is not limited to Afghanistan, but takes place everywhere” she told us. “This is not just an issue of women, but of religious fanaticism. I’m not saying I’m against religion, but I am against fanatics. This killing, which was justified as defending Islam, is actually a violation of Islamic law – as it states in the Koran, in Surat Al-Mā’idah 5:32, ‘whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely’.”

Fatima says the event is not directed solely at men who perpetrate violence against women, but also that “this is a message for the governments that they are being watched; that they are responsible for the security of the people who voted for them.”

Today’s event is open to the general public, and all are encouraged to attend.

“We will take more action until the government brings full justice for Farkhunda, and other cases like this,” Fatima said in closing.