'Brave' Muslim Men
The BBC reports on the early stages of a trial involving 49 Afghani men including 19 police officers, all pious Muslims no doubt, who beat a young woman to death on the say-so of a religious leader.
I can't believe there's much hope for a country whose citizens behave in this kind of barbaric way and while its followers like to characterise Islam as a religion of peace, that's very hard to square when violent incidents like this are a daily occurrence in the Muslim world.
Trial begins in case of Kabul lynching of Farkhunda
Of the 49 men who appeared in court, 19 were police officers
Forty-nine men have appeared in a court in Afghanistan accused of a mob attack in March in which a woman was beaten to death.
The 28-year-old woman called Farkhunda was accused of burning the Koran, although witnesses say she did not.
Of the defendants who appeared in court in Kabul, 19 were police officers accused of failing in their duty to prevent the attack.
The death led to widespread protests against the treatment of women.
Farkhunda was beaten to death and her body then burned on 19 March.
Forty-nine men have appeared in a court in Afghanistan accused of a mob attack in March in which a woman was beaten to death.
The 28-year-old woman called Farkhunda was accused of burning the Koran, although witnesses say she did not.
Of the defendants who appeared in court in Kabul, 19 were police officers accused of failing in their duty to prevent the attack.
The death led to widespread protests against the treatment of women.
Farkhunda was beaten to death and her body then burned on 19 March.
The woman's death led to nationwide protests about the treatment of women
She had argued with a mullah, or religious teacher, about his practice of selling charms to women at a shrine. In the course of the argument she was accused of burning the Koran and a crowd overheard and attacked her.
In confession statements read in court some of the accused admitted they were drawn in by the claims. An official investigator has said there is no evidence she burned the Koran.
At the opening of the trial at Afghanistan's Primary Court, the judge called for the Kabul police chief and the head of an interior ministry investigating team to attend court on Sunday.
The accused wore dark clothes given to them in prison. Two of them said they had been forced to sign confessions under duress.
The proceedings were broadcast live on national television.
The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says that although Afghanistan is a country where women's lives are often fragile, the murder of Farkhunda has led to nationwide condemnation.
She had argued with a mullah, or religious teacher, about his practice of selling charms to women at a shrine. In the course of the argument she was accused of burning the Koran and a crowd overheard and attacked her.
In confession statements read in court some of the accused admitted they were drawn in by the claims. An official investigator has said there is no evidence she burned the Koran.
At the opening of the trial at Afghanistan's Primary Court, the judge called for the Kabul police chief and the head of an interior ministry investigating team to attend court on Sunday.
The accused wore dark clothes given to them in prison. Two of them said they had been forced to sign confessions under duress.
The proceedings were broadcast live on national television.
The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says that although Afghanistan is a country where women's lives are often fragile, the murder of Farkhunda has led to nationwide condemnation.
