Afghan Christian to be freed
An Afghan man facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity is expected to be freed after a judge ordered that prosecutors re-examine the case.
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President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan is reported to have given assurances that an Afghan convert to Christianity will not face the death sentence for apostasy.
These attemps were resisted by the court itself however.
The case had deeply troubled President Bush who spoke out on behalf of the man.
Mr Bush said in a speech that a young democracy is growing in Afghanistan, but "we expect them to honour the universal principle of freedom".
He continued: "I'm . . . deeply troubled when I hear the fact that a person who converted away from Islam may be held to account. That's not the universal application of the values that I talked about."
Condoleeza Rice had also spoken out. However, Jack Straw was silent on the issue.
Silent Straw
'Britain's mighty response has been left to one of Mr Straw's juniors at the Foreign Office, Kim Howells. Mr Howells has sought "urgent clarification" from Kabul.
'I think I know how the case of Abdul Rahman will be "solved". President Karzai of Afghanistan has indicated that he will not be killed. The way out seems to be that he will be declared insane, and insanity, even under sharia, excuses you from death. He will then spend the rest of his days incarcerated, probably in conditions that don't bear thinking about, and Kim Howells and Jack Straw will feel that the matter has been "urgently clarified"...
I do not know whether Mr Rahman is insane. It is reported that he suffers from depression, which would not be surprising in one who has suffered 16 years of persecution. But the idea that dissenters from the prevailing ideology can be labelled mad is one that totalitarian regimes, such as Soviet Russia, have found convenient.
Actually, it goes back a long way. When St Paul appeared before the Roman governor of Caesarea, Festus, accused of blasphemy and sedition by the Jews, he expounded his beliefs. Festus then said: "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad." Paul replied: "I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak the words of truth and soberness."
The position of the Romans in Caesarea was roughly analogous to that of the British and Americans in Afghanistan today. They killed Paul in the end.
Read Charles Moore
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President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan is reported to have given assurances that an Afghan convert to Christianity will not face the death sentence for apostasy.
These attemps were resisted by the court itself however.
The case had deeply troubled President Bush who spoke out on behalf of the man.
Mr Bush said in a speech that a young democracy is growing in Afghanistan, but "we expect them to honour the universal principle of freedom".
He continued: "I'm . . . deeply troubled when I hear the fact that a person who converted away from Islam may be held to account. That's not the universal application of the values that I talked about."
Condoleeza Rice had also spoken out. However, Jack Straw was silent on the issue.
Silent Straw
'Britain's mighty response has been left to one of Mr Straw's juniors at the Foreign Office, Kim Howells. Mr Howells has sought "urgent clarification" from Kabul.
'I think I know how the case of Abdul Rahman will be "solved". President Karzai of Afghanistan has indicated that he will not be killed. The way out seems to be that he will be declared insane, and insanity, even under sharia, excuses you from death. He will then spend the rest of his days incarcerated, probably in conditions that don't bear thinking about, and Kim Howells and Jack Straw will feel that the matter has been "urgently clarified"...
I do not know whether Mr Rahman is insane. It is reported that he suffers from depression, which would not be surprising in one who has suffered 16 years of persecution. But the idea that dissenters from the prevailing ideology can be labelled mad is one that totalitarian regimes, such as Soviet Russia, have found convenient.
Actually, it goes back a long way. When St Paul appeared before the Roman governor of Caesarea, Festus, accused of blasphemy and sedition by the Jews, he expounded his beliefs. Festus then said: "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad." Paul replied: "I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak the words of truth and soberness."
The position of the Romans in Caesarea was roughly analogous to that of the British and Americans in Afghanistan today. They killed Paul in the end.
Read Charles Moore
posted by WESLEY at 17:04
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