Afghan man faces death for abandoning Islam

[barb162]

Afghan man faces death for abandoning Islam
(This headline as originally published has been corrected)

Prosecutors, judge, family insist convert should die

By Kim Barker
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published March 21, 2006


KABUL, Afghanistan -- Abdul Rahman told his family he was a Christian. He told the neighbors, bringing shame upon his home. But then he told the police, and he could no longer be ignored.

Now, in a major test of Afghanistan's fledgling court system, Rahman, 42, faces the death penalty for abandoning Islam for Christianity.

Prosecutors say he should die. So do his family, his jailers, even the judge. Rahman has no lawyer. Jail officials refused to let anyone see Rahman on Monday, despite permission granted by the country's justice minister.

"We will cut him into little pieces," said Hosnia Wafayosofi, who works at the jail, as she made a cutting motion with her hands. "There's no need to see him."

snip
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0603210143mar21,1,938137.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[Kerrytravelers]

1. "Prosecutors, judge, family insist convert should die"

This could be an American headline in the very near future. Convert to fundy Christian or die.

Isn't that what they really want?

[Erika]

3. South Dakota is probably applying to be a sister state

Both want a theocracy to control citizens.

[barb162]

4. There will be a lot of dead people then in the US

(I don't know any fundamentalists, but it is an interesting question)

[Psephos]

7. This will never be an American headline

Sorry, but I have to call BS on that...although I do know how you feel.

There's something to be done here, and that's raise an international protest. Diplomatic channels, media, petitions, whatever. Fax, postcard, email.

That is, of course, if anyone actually cares about this man beyond his utility in political commentary. I wish someone in the press corps had bothered to raise the issue with Bush the other day instead of trying to up their own cred.

Peace.

[Kerrytravelers]

12. Well, I wasn't really serious. I guess I should have included this:

:sarcasm:

[Erika]

2. We're fighting there and our budget is being drained

so W's set up government can kill Muslims who convert to Christianity?

W, the total f* up.

[barb162]

5. It seems the US military or embassy should get involved here

and they should inform the central government we didn't go in there to see people getting killed again for crap like this

[Erika]

6. The U.S. diplomatic corps has already plead on the man's behalf

But W didn't want to make the plead any stronger, because he did not think we should interfere with a sovereign nation. Can you believe that? It's true.

[Psephos]

9. Wow

The man who invented interfering with sovereign nations won't go to bat for a fellow Christian facing execution?

Did I just take the Blue Pill?

[barb162]

13. well, even Amnesty International is going to bat for this poor guy

right now (and several other nations) which is good.

[LynnTheDem]

8. THANK BUSH! It's all HIS DOING!

Way to go, bush, spreading that demockracy!!!


Stupidest MFer ever.

[Oversea Visitor]

10. Aaaah

Looks more like DEMONCrazy then democracy

[BikeWriter]

11. Freedom is moving forward in Afghanistan.