Afghan Man Faces Execution After Converting to Christianity

[ECH1969]

An Afghan man who recently admitted he converted to Christianity faces the death penalty under the country's strict Islamic legal system. The trial is a critical test of Afghanistan's new constitution and democratic government.

The case is attracting widespread attention in Afghanistan, where local media are closely monitoring the landmark proceedings.

Abdul Rahman, 40, was arrested last month, accused of converting to Christianity.

Muslim-born Rahman is charged with rejecting Islam.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-18-voa7.cfm

[kevinbgoode]

1. Ahh...spreadin' love....spreadin' FREEDOM. . .

I would say that the American Taliban would be all up in arms over this, but they advocate pretty much the same thing to Muslim rights in the United States.

[ECH1969]

2. Your right just look what they did to the UAE

They declared one of our best allies a terrorist state and gave them the finger.

[benburch]

3. You know, a lot of this has been "sold" to the fundies as an opportunity..

...to convert heathens.

But to them, making martyrs is a BONUS.

[rogerashton]

4. At least nobody in Afghanistan is

publishing offensive cartoons.

[daleo]

5. Canadian troops are heavily involved in Afghanistan too

We are getting the "Support the troops" meme by our new Conservative government. I wonder how many people know we are supporting a regime that executes people for religious reasons?

We will see if the newspapers pick up this story. They would if it was Iran.

On edit: Interesting that it is Voice of America publishing the story. I can't help thinking "what's their angle?".

[fujiyama]

6. So

is Bush goin to pressure his buddy Karzai over this or is this just another example of the great democracy we've transformed Afghanistan into?

[rodeodance]

7. shh.shh it is a secret

[madrchsod]

8. send pickles and her twin

over there to "tune them up"...pickles and her twin have done such a good job over there the last time...by the way where is karen-"i`m his stepmom" -hughes?

[salin]

9. wow.... wonder what pat will say?

oh - this is a bush ally - and to criticize real religious persecution rather than faked ones for fundraising isn't necessary.

Ugh - THIS is religious persecution, not some ORiellian faked "War on Christmas".

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. Yeah, what is Bill saying about this?

You'd think with his strong passion about Christians being persecuted, he'd hop on a plane and go over to Afghanistan and personally liberate the guy, wouldn't you? Oh, that's right. Bill only likes to pretend he cares.

[salin]

14. Bwahaha

somehow I doubt mention of this would ever make it onto his show... wouldn't want to draw any questioning to the results of his buddy bush's policies...

[Igel]

10. There they go again, enforcing shari'a.

Everybody knows shari'a has nothing to do with Islam.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Interesting interpretation of the Qur'an

which states that we must respect all people of the Book, which includes Christians and Jews. But then I'm a progressive Muslim, and those fundies aren't following the Islam I follow. I'm sure that the next thing you'll hear is that Sufis have been persecuted for not being "real" Muslims and having ties to the West, as they have been in Iran.

[Maat]

32. I worry about that, Ma'am.

The World seems to be a really crazy place, right now, especially with our CIA involved in everybody's business (backing this dictator, overthrowing another one).

Looks like we are "spreading Democracy" everywhere (another link):

"...A Christian in Afghanistan appears ready to accept the death penalty rather than renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. The Afghani man who allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death."

From: http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/3/202006h.asp (a hardright 'Christian' website).

I'm sure in any new Theocratic Fascist state, my faith (Religious Science) would not be viewed as legitimate by Christian Conservatives (the Hardright).

[wellst0nev0ter]

13. Look On The Bright Side

Maybe instead of public beheadings in a stadium, they might be humane like us and stick a needle in him :sarcasm:

[Rex]

15. Did we bring this man freedom and democracy?

The right to be executed by the state for changing religions? Freedom on the march.

[HuffleClaw]

16. erm, by crucifixion ?

but seriously, THIS is the 'democracy' and 'freedom' that is on the march ?

[MisterP]

17. you'd think with all the crusaders and "my God is bigger than your God"

mutants in charge they'd have foreseen this and protected their "fellow" Christians--or are only light-skinned people allowed to be such now?

[kurth]

18. We spent $54 BILLION in Afghanistan for this?

Democracy and freedom, my ass.

[Maat]

33. Well said, Kurth! (n/t)

[Judi Lynn]

19. The first hate murder after 9/ll happened to be the vicious, idiotic

murder of a Sikh man working at a convenience store in Arizona, who wouldn't necessarily know Muhammad from Sam Hill.

Yeah, it's good to keep pointing those grimy fingers at other countries, isn't it?

[megatherium]

22. There's a big difference between some dumb fucks murdering

someone, and a judicial killing for apostasy. A great big difference.

[BoneDaddy]

26. No

We do both. We point out inconsistencies here as well as in "liberated" Afghanistan.

[catmother]

28. i remember that. i live in phoenix. just because the man was

wearing a something on his head, they thought he was muslim.:puke:

[QC]

31. by that standard, no one can ever speak out against injustice. n/t

[onager]

20. Damn. That makes the Saudis look like bleeding-heart liberals.

The sharia law in Saudi Arabia only specifies the death penalty for converting OTHER people from Islam. (At least when I lived in Saudi Arabia in the early 1990's, that was the case.) The specific criminal charge was "apostasy" and it was definitely a capital crime--right under murder in the Saudi criminal code.

Every once in a while they would actually jail somebody for Xian proselytizing...generally a TCN (Third-Country National) "guest worker," whose status bordered on slavery anyway. This usually happened to Filipino Catholics. Since beheadings for religious reasons are terrible P.R., the Saudis would usually just keep the miscreant in jail for a few weeks, then deport him.

And what could be worse than that? Well, for one thing off the top of my head, committing highway robbery in Saudi Arabia...where the highways still cross vast, empty stretches of desert. The penalty for that was crucifixion.

[imax2268]

21. So is this

just another example of the Bush administration lying to us about the progress of his "spreading freedom" in the middle east...?

The judge must "hate him for his freedom"....

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. Voice of America News. Is this story really true? Is anyone....

...actually following this story in the Afghan media? Do the Afghans have ANY media at all that's not controlled by the U. S. occupiers?

[maddezmom]

25. it's on all the wires today..just search Afghan

as for the veracity of the story...:shrug:

[0007]

24. I'll get Pat Buchanan on this story right away. Yawn.

[QC]

30. Yes, it's such a bore for people to die. n/t

[Odin2005]

27. Disgusting.

IIRC, in muslim societies if a person converts from Islam he/she is considered and outlaw and can be killed. It's why apostates like Salaman Rushdie live in constant fear.

[The Stranger]

34. I don't believe Salman Rushdie ever converted from Islam.

(not to bother you with the facts).

[QC]

39. Rushdie is an atheist.

http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_SRushdie.htm

(not to bother you with the facts).

[The Stranger]

40. Sure doesn't sound like one (although I wouldn't mind at all if he were).

Here is something more recent (from last October):

I have called for an Islamic Reformation, but that may give the wrong connotation because of Martin Luther's puritanical cast. Enlightenment might be a better term. The point is, Islam has to change. The dead hand of literalism is what is giving power to the conservatives and the radicals. If you want to take that away from them, you must start with the issue of interpretation and insist that all ideas, even sacred ones, must adapt to new realities.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-gardels/salman-rushdie-inside-th_b_8486.html

[noonwitch]

29. How can this be happening, when we allegedly liberated them?

Just another Bush fuckup, I guess.

[fshrink]

35. In the series "Don't try this at home".

Or in the series, "I switched to heroin from meth".

[SomewhereOutThere424]

36. Same belief, different god

And they simply feel threatened because 'that god' happens to be on the invisible coat of arms of the united states. Wouldn't be happening if the war on terror was secular and not a crusade. I feel the same way about Tom Fox, seperation of church and state wasn't there to piss off the right wing. Even if it is one of its perks ;)

[SomewhereOutThere424]

37. and to clarify...

I mean people wouldn't be dying for religion if it wasn't our government's current showboat. Not that people don't have right to religion.

[QC]

38. Apostasty was a capital offense in Sharia law centuries before

anybody ever heard of George W. Bush. The Taliban was executing people for it before Bush was elected or there was any such thing as a "war on terror."

[Copperred]

41. Fool

He was a fool to even go back to Afghanistan.......