Afghan Man Faces Possible Death Sentence for Converting to Christianity

This from The Guardian:

Abdul Rahman, 41, was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told Associated Press. The accused was charged with rejecting Islam.

During the one-day hearing on Thursday, the defendant allegedly confessed to converting to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Judge Mawlavezada said.

"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam." He will rule on the case within two months.

Shariah law states that any Muslim who rejects Islam should be sentenced to death, according to Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the state-sponsored Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. Repeated attempts to impose a jail sentence were barred.

Blogger Annie Gottlieb writes, citing several other bloggers on this item:

Michael Reynolds stresses the point that this is the government we overthrew the Taliban to empower. Michelle Malkin stresses that Christians should be rushing to this Christian's defense. No doubt, but there's a much more universal issue here: freedom of conscience. To believe, or not, what you see fit. Not to compel, extort, enforce, or punish anyone else's belief. Today we call that a crime. It's no different from ethnic cleansing, it's just creedal cleansing.

Amen to that!

If you'd like to urge the government of Afghanistan to spared Mr. Rahman's life and allow for freedom of conscience in their country, the email address for the Afghan embassy is Info@embassyofafghanistan.org.

UPDATE: I've just sent the following email to the Afghan embassy in Washington...

Dear Friends:
I'm writing in regard to the situation of Abdul Rahman, a forty-one year old citizen of your country awaiting a potential death sentence for the crime of converting to Christianity sixteen years ago.

It's appalling to me that at a time when Americans, many of them Christians, are risking their lives to give freedom to the people of Afghanistan, your government could accede to killing a man for exercising freedom of conscience.

I ask you to employ your influence over the judge to insure that Mr. Rahman is not executed and to change the law under which he is accused.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Rev. Mark Daniels
Friendship Lutheran Church
1300 White Oak Road
Amelia, Ohio 45102

Please send your own emails on Mr. Rahman's behalf.