Women activists and Kabul university students staged a protest in Kabul, calling for punishing killers of a young girl, Miss Shakila, in the central province of Bamyan and dismissal of provincial attorney for avoiding persecution of her murderers. Previously, similar demonstration was held in Bamyan where 16 years old Shakila who was in her sister's house was shot dead.
Police has arrested a person named Qurban from whose weapon the bullet pierced into chest of innocent Shakila. Qurban was the bodyguard of Mr. Behishti, a member to provincial council, in whose house Shakila was found death. The incident took place around six months ago and still the case has remained wrapped in the veil of vagueness and suspicion. Mr. Qurban criticized the concerned officials and asked them to review the incident because he was not guilty. He has said that he was outside and did not have the weapon with himself when the incident had taken place.
Social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, are filled with the heart-wrenching photos of Shakila, showing her with closed eyes, her head tightly wrapped with white ribbon and blood spilled all over her chest, which perhaps has splashed out after the cruel bullet pierced into it.
After six months, the provincial attorney could not or did not clarify how she was killed in the house of an influential provincial council member. Protesters in Bamyan late last month blamed the police and attorney of intentionally postponing the case evasion of investigation. Yesterday, July 31, demonstrators once again put similar blames and asked government to dismiss the provincial attorney and persecute all culprits.
Even if officials try to postpone the case, seemingly the social conscience has become sensitive and awakened and will not tolerate violence against women. However, it should be noticed that people across the country are not like this.
Annually, tens of cases are registered by human rights commission and ministry of women affairs of violence against women some of which are completely inhuman. Only few months ago, a women was shot dead publically in Parwan province but people there generally remained idle observers.
This means that the society favors the second position for women, but certainly media and social networks have played key role. Yesterday's protest in Kabul and circulation of Shakila photos in the virtual world that also after six months can be deemed as sign of social awakening against long-lasting injustice against women.