Women for Women International [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.womenforwomen.org/press-releases

:: Women for Women International (WfWI) issued the following statement regarding the killing of Farkhunda at the Shah do Shamshira shrine in Kabul.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 (Kabul, Afghanistan) –

“As we mourn the brutal killing of Farkhunda, we stand in solidarity with fellow Afghans and echo calls for President Ghani to ensure that Farkhunda’s murder is fully investigated and that the perpetrators are held accountable. She was an educated woman and a respected religious scholar who used her voice in the public square. The violent and heinous attack that has sparked outrage does not represent the future of Afghanistan, but a turning point.

“On Sunday, our Social Empowerment Manager Frozan Marofi was one of the 35 women who defied local traditions and carried Farkhunda in the funeral procession. Frozan’s courage, faith and desire for justice guided her actions because in her words, ‘Farkhunda is every Afghan mother, daughter and sister.’ On Tuesday morning our staff joined thousands of Afghans in Kabul to rally and march for justice and security. And today in Washington, our local colleagues will join the rally in front of Congress to carry that message forward. The courage of the Afghan women who refused to allow men to carry Farkhunda’s body to the burial site continues to galvanize the call around the world for justice and security for all Afghans.

“Online and in the streets, we see an awakening in civil society that is rejecting violent extremism and manipulation of faith. The response to Farkhunda’s murder and calls for justice are an important reminder that the forces that claimed Farkhunda’s life are not the future of Afghanistan. Afghans value building a society that engenders equality, provides security and protects all of its citizens.”…