[cgk]

The Supreme Court judge apparently disagrees with the Afghan Foreign Minister about what Afghanistan's Constitution says. Here is his quote:

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"Yes that's true, a man has converted to Christianity. He's being tried in one of our courts," Supreme Court judge Ansarullah Mawlavizada said, adding that his trial began early last week.

He said the man could face the death penalty if he refused to revert to Islam as Sharia law proposes capital punishment for any Muslim who converts to another religion. Afghanistan's constitution states: "No law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam."

[EternalVigilance]

Afghanistan's constitution states: "No law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam."

IOW, 'new boss same as the old boss'...

[Criminal Number 18F]

The Supreme Court judge apparently disagrees with the Afghan Foreign Minister about what Afghanistan's Constitution says

Why should we expect different branches of a foreign government to be in sync? Are our own? Not so much, eh?

The Supreme Court in Afghanistan is home to some Taliban retreads, pretty extreme guys (Karzai had to park them somewhere; he's dealing with a lot of religious and tribal dynamite here). The average Afghan takes his religion as a pretty personal thing and does not make a fuss about it. Most of them are Muslims without a whole lot of thought or study in it -- even most of the mullahs are hardly Koranic scholars. Most of them are barely literate.

In Afghanistan, they tell Mullah Nasruddin jokes about a stupid country mullah, like we tell Polish jokes. (many more here).

Everything is not always as it seems in Afghanistan. It is, and will likely always be, a conservative Muslim state. But it is not like it was under the Taliban, or like Iran or Saudi Arabia is today. My belief is that this guy will slip the noose that so many of you are convinced is around his neck.

The thing is, it's 1384 in Afghanistan. You don't get from medieval to modern in months. But they'll get there, as long as they have freedom.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F