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March 19, 2006
Afghanistan: Facing Death Penalty For Leaving Islam
Disturbing news from Sky News and Associated Press via Santa Barbara News Press relates that an Afghan man, 41-year old Abdul Rahman, has gone on trial accused of rejecting Islam. Under Afghanistan's barbaric laws, he could face being executed under terms of Shariah law for being an "apostate".
Abdul Rahman allegedly said he had converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago. His family had gone to the police and reported his "crime" last month.
Rahman had been working in Peshawar, Pakistan as an aid worker when he became a Chriatian convert. He had spent nine years living in Germany, and had returned to Afghanistan in 2002, to attempt to gain custody of his two childrem, now aged 13 and 14.
His trial started on Thursday, and had a one-day hearing.
The judge in the case, Ansarullah Mawlavezada said: "We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law. It is an attack on Islam."
The prosecutor, Abdul Wasi, offered to drop the charges against Rahman, if he converted back to Islam, but Rahman refused. As a result, the prosecutor is now seeking the death penalty. "He would have been forgiven if he changed back. But he said he was a Christian and would always remain one. We are Muslims and becoming a Christian is against our laws. He must get the death penalty," Wasi told AP.
Judge Mawlavezada said he would rule on the case within two months.
As we reported earlier, the US has since 1998 had a State Department commission, The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom which encourages sanctions against countries who do not allow religious freedoms.
Saudi Arabia on September 30 was given a 180 day waiver, to show some effort in allowing religious freedoms. Next month, the deadline comes up, and Saudi Arabia has made no effort in this direction. Only Eritrea, a country with no economic value to the West, has received sanctions.
Surely, Afghanistan should be forced to change its laws on religious freedom, or it is not fit to be part of the international community.
Already, one editor, Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, was sentenced on October 22 2005 to two years' jail with hard labour in Kabul's Primary Court by the same judge currently ruling on Abdul Rahman's case.
Nasab was freed on appeal on 21 December.
One hopes that Abdul Rahman will not be executed, but whatever the results of this case, the laws on blashpemy and apostasy are in breach of the most basic interpretations of human rights and religious freedoms.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at March 19, 2006 5:16 PM
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