Opinion: Youth participants of Farkhunda’s mob lynching

KABUL (SW): Farkhunda’s death is considered as one of the most harrowing incidents in Afghanistan’s recent history, and even the world for that matter.

The youth’s participation in murdering her, be it as direct perpetrators or just spectators, is a despicable reality of the Afghan society.

The incident spoke volumes of endemic violence in the country, and the youth who took part in it showed how even the young generations bear that violent mentality.

Now, the question occurs is that how a group of young men who could have stepped in to avoid the heinous act instead took part in further flaring-up the incident? It is clear that if the factors and the main reasons for this tragedy are not closely and precisely analyzed, the repeat of similar incident is on the horizon.

The roots of youth participation in Farkhunda’s murder

The footage of the incident showed the youth brutally kicking and trampling her under their feet.  It seems the factors, which directly drew the youth to act so indignantly against her are:

Influence of the wide fanatic culture in the society:  It is common in Afghanistan to accuse someone of blasphemy even if he/she thinks slightly different about certain things when it comes to religion. Those who consider themselves religious, think they have every right to intervene in someone’s life who doesn’t share the same sentiment towards religion-related issues the way they do.

Having a different view even in the socio-political affairs, has no place in our country, and is certain to have severe consequences.

Psychological impacts of continued war

There is no doubt that the last 5 decades have been marked by war in the country, which besides taking civilians’ lives, have left psychological impacts on the citizens.

This is something very serious and detrimental since it changes killing of humans to a very common act, and even something ‘enjoyable’. In Farkhunda’s case, this very fact clearly showed the psychological imbalance of the citizens in the society.

The susceptibility in religious thoughts

Although, Islamic values have always emphasized upon reasoning and thinking, there are a great number of Muslims who are susceptible to blindly obey a Fatwa no matter who has issued it. This has even influenced the educated youth who are bendy enough to join armed opposition of the government under the name of Jehad (Holy War) and fight against the ‘infidels’.

Economic Challenges

Poverty is like war that leads to schizophrenia among the citizens. A deprived society finds it difficult to approach something in the best logical way. A deprived society resembles an hungry man who easily gets angry since he has not satiate his hunger, and does something bad out of anger and soon regrets it.

Farkhunda’s murder and the emotional reaction shown by the government’s high-ranking officials and religious influential people’s regress after the wide protests clearly suggest that how poverty damages one’s psychological balance.

Conservative Society

The past decade presented a good opportunity for a transition from a conservative society to that of a modern and rational one. Mass media, presence of the international community and higher education could have brought a revolution in enlightenment but it was quite the opposite, and if there is even a change it is so trivial.

Incidents like Farkhunda’s death have happened in various parts of the country since, and the repeat of such act would prove us a society, which has refused to embrace modernism and an open society.

Whatever was said above can open a door for a scientific research about such tragedies.

 It goes without saying that carrying scientific researches regarding the roots of such acts, will prevent similar tragedies from happening, and it is crucial to take a step about it as soon as possible.

ENDS