An Afghan citizen threatened with execution for rejecting Islam has been released amid intense international outcry. Italy granted asylum to Abdul Rahman, 41, who was charged with converting to Christianity, as his life would be at risk in Afghanistan. Apostasy is punishable by death under the interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
The sensitive case had placed Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a political dilemma, as he was under extreme pressure of both his western allies calling for the man’s release and religious conservatives at home demanding his execution.
President Bush last week said that he was “deeply troubled” over the Christian Afghan’s fate, while US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice phoned Karzai to seek a “favourable solution at the earliest possible moment”.
“US forces did not help liberate Afghanistan from the Taleban rule so that conservative Islamic judges could issue death sentences against people because of their religious beliefs,” Bush pointed out.
Australian Prime Minster John Howard warned that he could not be friend of any nation that could “advocate killing someone for changing his faith”.
Although Karzai stressed the case was to the judiciary to decide, many believe he personally intervened to dismiss the case.
Abdul Rahman’s case was a blow to the Afghan government’s effort to balance international laws with Islamic religious codes – which are both enshrined in the new Afghan constitution.
Although the Afghan Supreme Court said the accused was released on technical and health grounds, the decision unleashed a storm of protests across the country condemning the “western interference” into the matter.
"Western countries have occupied nations, destroyed their political and social systems and killed thousands of people so that people would conform to their civilisation or their pattern of thinking ... While doing so, why did they not bother about honouring the universal principle of freedom," asked an influential cleric Shahnewaz.
Abdul Rahman converted to Christianity when he worked with a Christian aid organisation in Pakistan 16 years ago. He then moved to Germany.
He was arrested last week in Kabul after he returned to take the custody of his two daughters living with his family.
His family refused to let him take his children because he reportedly forced his children to convert to Christianity.
3 comments:
I don't know if either God or Allah exists, but if they do, would they want people to worship them only from fear of death? Whatever the true belief is, wouldn't a person need a mind and heart without fear to find it?
I think it is of no use to worship the Creator if one doesn't believe in Him both in one's heart and mind. I'm not a religious scholar, so don't know why one should be punished to death for converting to another religion. But with little knowledge I have, I assume there were some people who would convert to Islam right after the times of Prophet Muhammad, with the aim of creating disorder and dispute amongst Muslims, and when their vicious ends were achieved, they reconverted. So some were punished to death. The Holy Muslim book doesn't say a convert should be executed, nor even punished. But I personally believe it's not possible to force one to accept a religion. If time allows, I'll research this in early Christianity and Islam.
"Honouring universal principles of freedom" includes allowing a person to CHOOSE their religion. Faith is very personal. It is foundation of a person's life. No one has the right to force anyone to believe the same way they do.
If they wanted to convert from Christianity to Muslim, the same principle applies.
In early Christianity in the USA, everything was taught through the Bible. The Indians were forced to speak English, forced to believe in Jesus, but they were not killed for this reason. We were killed because people had fear of us in their hearts. Also, they wanted our land. It is no longer this way, however they want EVERYONE'S land now!
Hahaha. They did not lift a finger to help us. Now the court has said they can take away their land because they want to! Please don't misunderstand me, I am totally against this practice. TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT!
Always try to remember. YOU are the one who put them IN office, and YOU can take them OUT! YOU have the power, if you remember to use it wisely. I try to think of what would be best for the my neighborhood, my city, my state, and my country. See? :)
Have a nice day.
Post a Comment