Afghans protest decapitations of ethnic Hazara by ISIL

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Afghanistan's capital on Wednesday with coffins carrying the bodies of seven ethnic Hazara demanding justice after their beheadings.

The protests included women and men from Afghanistan's different ethnic groups - Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara - as they marched on the Presidential Palace to urge the government to take action against rising violence against Afghan civilians.

According to Afghan officials, the Hazara hostages were captured by ISIL fighters more than a month ago and held in Arghandab district of Zabul province.

Three women, two children, and two men had been beheaded with razor wire, officials said. Their bodies were discovered by the Taliban who handed them over to tribal elders on Saturday in Ghazni province, from where they were abducted.

"We will continue to fight for the safety of our family," civil rights activist Shahzaman Hashemi told Al Jazeera. "This is our right to feel safe. Whatever happened to those women and children can happen to us as well."

The Afghan government announced a national day of mourning on Wednesday over the killings.

'Had enough'

Maryam Jamal, who also took part in the march, said it was important to pressure the government to halt the escalating violence in the country. "They've now started killing women and children," she said.

"It can be me tomorrow, can be my children. This protest is historic and we are adamant to not back off until something is done about this. We've had enough.".............http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/afghans-protest-killings-hazara-isil-151110135854342.html
11/11/15