Afghan Arrives in Italy After Fleeing

[Lone_Star_Dem]

ROME - The Afghan man who faced the death penalty after converting from Islam to Christianity flew to Rome on Wednesday after the Italian government granted him asylum.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_on_re_as/afghan_christian_convert;_ylt=AuCgbAYjmqitw8vn5FbU66Os0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[saigon68]

1. SPIRITED OUT BY BLACKWATER MERCENARIES IN A GULFSTREAM JET

lol

[Maat]

2. My understanding is that he left two daughters behind.

And that this started out as a custody battle. Certain relatives wanted to keep custody of his kids, and, when he resisted, they turned him into authorities. Anybody else heard that?

[Mike Daniels]

3. Wife said he was unfit as a parent because of his conversion

The guy had converted years ago and it wasn't a big to-do until the custody hearing.

[Maat]

4. So, the kids are with mom, are they?

I still worry about them living in an apparently oppressive society. But then millions of other kids are living in oppressive societies.

[CornField]

5. Afghan convert flees to Italy

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-060329convert,1,6186785.story?coll=chi-news-hed

The Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity flew to Italy on Wednesday evening, hours after Afghan lawmakers declared that he should not be allowed to leave the country.

Abdul Rahman, 40, has been granted political asylum by Italy. He was spirited out of Afghanistan in secret. An Italian Embassy official in Kabul said he was not aware of how he was flown out of Kabul.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters Wednesday in Rome that Rahman was with the country's Interior Ministry, which is in charge of immigration.
...
Rahman was released from Afghanistan's highest security prison Monday after mounting international pressure from world leaders, human-rights workers and Christian groups. His asylum raises fears here that other Afghans will convert to other faiths, just to be able to leave the country.

I think I'd get the heck out of Dodge too.

[joeybee12]

6. Let's see...convert, or rremain in a rat-infested hellish war zone where

your life expectancy is about zero. Hmm, tough choice. Not that I'm doubting this guy's sincerity, but if I wanted to get out, that's what I'd do, so maybe their fears of others converting don't sound so far-fetched.

[seriousstan]

7. Your lack of facts is astounding.

He converted about 16 years ago while doing charity work in Pakistan. He had been living the last 9 years in Germany. His wife busted on his conversion so she could use it against him in a custody battle.He faced a death sentence, a mob lynching and separation from his 2 children and homeland for his faith. I have no doubt about his sincerity.

The internet is a wonderful place full of info, shame some don't utilize it's potential.