Afghan Man Prosecuted for Converting(from Islam to Christianity, potential death penalty)

AP ^ | 03/19/06

[TigerLikesRooster]

Afghan Man Prosecuted for Converting

24 minutes ago

An Afghan man who allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death, a judge said Sunday.

The defendant, Abdul Rahman, was arrested last month after his family went to the police and accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told Associated Press in an interview. Such a conversion would violate the country's Islamic laws.

Rahman, who is believed to be 41, was charged with rejecting Islam when his trial started last week, the judge said.

During the hearing, the defendant allegedly confessed that he converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago when he was 25 and working as a medical aid worker for Afghan refugees in neighboring Pakistan, Mawlavezada said.

Afghanistan's constitution is based on Shariah law, which states that any Muslim who rejects their religion should be sentenced to death.

"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. ... The prosecutor is asking for the death penalty."

The prosecutor, Abdul Wasi, said the case was the first of its kind in Afghanistan.

He said that he had offered to drop the charges if Rahman changed his religion back to Islam, but the defendant refused.

Mawlavezada said he would rule on the case within two months.

Afghanistan is a deeply conservative society and 99 percent of its 28 million people are Muslim. The rest are mainly Hindus.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Afghanistan is a deeply conservative society and 99 percent of its 28 million people are Muslim. The rest are mainly Hindus.

Probably because those who are not Muslims are dead or fled the country

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

There is one sane man in the Muslim world.

[trubluolyguy]

An Afghan man who allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death, a judge said Sunday.

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Even though we might find it inhumane for this man to be charged and possibly killed, I'm betting he knew the law AND the penalty.

[Andy from Beaverton]

Afghanistan's constitution is based on Shariah law

Not totally true!

[trubluolyguy]

"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. ... The prosecutor is asking for the death penalty."

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It is a religion of peace mind you, and to say otherwise is obvious bigotry.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #3

You can say the same thing for any political dissident. Does that mean that they are all fair game for those in power? I think not.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Early Christians were secretive and met in the catacombs in Rome.....

Perhaps Muslim converts need secrecy for a couple of hundred years.......

because Satan is one mean Muslim!

[trubluolyguy]

Post #5 was sarcasm, just in case anyone mistook it for seriousness.

[aimhigh]

Imagine it's World War II. Hitler and his top men are eliminated. Then we help the remaining Nazis set up a democratic Nazi government. This appears to be what we've done in Afganistan.

[trubluolyguy]

You can say the same thing for any political dissident. Does that mean that they are all fair game for those in power? I think not.

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I am not saying I agree with the law there, I am saying that he knew (better than most here)what was going to happen to him.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Muslims minding everybody ---> Muslims only minding their backyard.

In terms of your Nazi analogy,
Expansionist Nazis ---> Isolationist Nazis

[Longbow1969]

Imagine it's World War II. Hitler and his top men are eliminated. Then we help the remaining Nazis set up a democratic Nazi government. This appears to be what we've done in Afganistan.

Bingo. I'd say that pretty much sums it up.

[knuthom]

Since he converted 16 years ago, he didn't appear to be announcing it in the streets. His family turned him in. I bet there is some other family dispute going on and they wanted to get him out of the way. Probably wanted his money or his wife or daughters.

[ZULU]

A democracy has to be based on certain fundamental inalienable human rights. Our founding fathers recognized this when they formed our government and indeed, when they revolted from Britain. One of the most basic of those inalienable human rights is freedom of religion - the right to believe as one chooses.

When American men and money are invested in a military operation in the Islamic world, an adventure forced on us and not sought voluntarily, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the consequence should be the total elimination of Sharia Law and the separation of religion and state.

We should STOP pandering to people whose thinking is more primitive than neolithic savages and ENFORCE this on them.

As for our own country, the example of what is occurring throughout the world wherever Islam is the predominant belief system should make it clear that Islam should not be allowed here. Its tenets are fundamentally incompatible with the beliefs of our founding fathers and the political creed upon which this nation was founded.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I bet there is some other family dispute going on and they wanted to get him out of the way. Probably wanted his money or his wife or daughters.

Maybe a few sweet-assed goats.

[twigs]

And that makes this insanity legitimate?

[Captain Kirk]

You forgot to mention that this religion of peace in "Democratic Afghanistan" is supported by Bush and our tax dollars.

[Loud Mime]

===was arrested last month after his family went to the police and accused him of becoming a Christian===

Kind of like what the Democrats are doing today..

[Loud Mime]

It makes no sense to liberate a country from Islamic loonies and turn around and allow this.

Watch what the democrats do. Killing Christians may become a spectator sport with them. Already there is an anti-christian forum called the Coliseum.

[Texas Mom]

An Afghan man who allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death, a judge said Sunday.

A song from the 70's: If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?