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| Afghan mob, Muslims, surrounding Farkhounda and watching her burning |
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| A gathering of Muslims and non-Muslims in Stockholm to honour Farkhounda and protest against violence in the name of religion |
This is my speech translated from Swedish. You can also read it in Arabic in this blog
One of the most prominent evidences of the evolution of
religion and its capacity to be a part of human civilization, with its diverse
expressions, is the ability to abstraction. This means a widespread
understanding among believers that the holy texts and sacred symbols derive
their value from the content and not their material existence.
What happened in Kabul recently, where a mob of average men in
a capital city, lynched an Afghan woman by beating and kicking her until she
was covered by blood, driving a car over her, throwing her from a roof, ending
this savagery by burning her alive, this crime is one of many conclusive
evidences that Islam regrettably has not yet reached this stage of evolution.
What has the poor woman, Farkhonda, done to deserve such a terrible end of her life?
The accusation that led to the heinous act is that she
had burned the Koran. Afghan officials, some clerics and many Muslims have condemned
the crime against Farkhunda on the grounds that the charge was false. Farkhonda
did not burn the Koran. I ask them and the world´s Muslims today: Is the
case different if we assume that the charge was true? Does it justify the brutal
murder?
What if I had followed my strong desire today?
What if I brought with me the copi of Koran that I own, which is one of
millions, no billions of copies which are found in all parts of the world, and
burned in front of you here, now?
I ask: Does it make me deserve the horrible
treatment that Farkhonda went through?
The persons who would answer: "Yes, you would have deserved
this punishment" can be counted to tens and hundreds of thousands. Their
religion is narrow and their crimes have become many. The brutal action:
killing an innocent woman in such primitive ways that one can hardly find words
to describe, is not their first act of violence.
They have for a long time used women and children as a
human shield of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
They have burned a Jordanian Muslim man inside an iron
cage in Syria.
In Iraq they have beheaded dozens and killed thousands of
Muslims and non-Muslims belonging to different states, ethnic groups and
religions.
In Kenya they have committed a bloody massacre against
Christian university students.
These terrorists can only see a religion´s withered and dead
skin without ever understanding the deep meaning. They are only aware of the
message of primitive violence. And they are not only some marginal groups.
Fanatic readings of the Koran have started a fire in the
house of Islam.
Today we, who are born in the Islamic civilization, are
hostages in a burning house, surrounded of extremists.
Our house is burning under our feet! If we don´t make hard
efforts in extinguishing the fire, we risk that the fundament of Islamic
civilization will be destroyed in front of us.
What has happened to Farkhonda is not a transient event in a remote place. What has happened affects me and affects you, threatens me and threatens you.
Let's announce today that her death was not in vain.
Let's Farkhonda´s death be a call to defend life and dignity, and a reminder of the need to work on creating an enlightened Islam.
Let's reclaim the right to define Islam from the grip of
extremists and fanatics who commit sins every day against
both God and man, in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria and other
countries in East and West. The extremists have different names: IS, al-Qaeda,
Hezbollah, al-Shabab, Hamas, Boko Haram or a fanatic mob.
Today we are confident, after what we have seen and heard
of evil of them all, that this unsacred extremism, regardless of name, flag and
banner, represents a big threat to humanity and civilization both in Muslim
countries and all over the world.
We are gathered here today to pledge to Farkhonda and to
all the victims of this religious fanaticism, spontaneous or organized, that we
will stand in the face of the threat.
There is no place for violence and terrorism in the
future. Those who carry the sword, the gun and the flame of hatred, should
leave the convoy.
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The president for The Afghan Ministry for Religious Affairs, Abdul Rahman Ahmadzai, had this declaration:
If this woman was against the holy Koran and had done it deliberately, and if she was at the same time a non Muslim believer, then we would justify the action of the people.
This action!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeFz4lazzc8
The video contains terrible pictures. 18+
