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What do you guys think of this? I think it's terrible! Do you see any other religions prosecuting people and threatening their lives for converting to something else. It's this kind of strangle hold over a persons life that really annoys me. If he had been anywhere else in the world, no-one would have cared.

Khaleej Times:

KABUL - An Afghan man is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death after being charged with converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under this country’s Islamic Shariah laws, a judge said.


The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in Afghanistan and highlights a struggle between religious conservatives and reformists over what shape Islam will take here four years after the ouster of the Islamic fundamentalist Taleban regime.

The defendant, Abdul Rahman, 41, was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told The Associated Press in an interview. Rahman was charged with rejecting Islam and his trial started last Thursday.

During the one-day hearing, the defendant allegedly confessed that he converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Mawlavezada said.

“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.”

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

Afghanistan’s constitution is based on Shariah law, which states that any Muslim who rejects Islam should be sentenced to death, according to Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the state-sponsored Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.

Repeated attempts to see Rahman in detention were barred.

The prosecutor, Abdul Wasi, said he had offered to drop the charges if Rahman converted back to Islam, but he refused.

“He would have been forgiven if he changed back. But he said he was a Christian and would always remain one,” Wasi told the AP. “We are Muslims and becoming a Christian is against our laws. He must get the death penalty.”

After being an aid worker for four years in Pakistan, Rahman moved to Germany for nine years, said Rahman’s father, Abdul Manan, outside his home in Kabul.

He returned to Afghanistan in 2002 and tried to gain custody of his two daughters, now aged 13 and 14, who had been living with their grandparents their whole lives, he said. A custody battle ensued and the matter was taken to the police.

During questioning, it emerged that Rahman was a Christian and was carrying a Bible. He was immediately arrested and charged, the father said.

Afghanistan is a conservative Islamic country. Some 99 percent of its 28 million people are Muslim, the remainder mainly Hindu.

A Christian aid worker in Kabul, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said there was no reliable figure for the number of Christians, though it was believed to be in the low hundreds. He said few admit their faith because of fear of retribution and there are no known Afghan churches.

An old house in a war-wrecked suburb of Kabul serves as a Christian place of worship for expatriates. From the muddy street, the building looks like any other. Its guard, Abdul Wahid, said no Afghans go there.

The only other churches are believed to be inside foreign embassies or on bases belonging to the US-led coalition or a NATO peacekeeping force.

Hakim, the human rights advocate, said the case would attract widespread attention in Afghanistan and could be exploited by Muslim conservatives to rally opposition to reformists who are trying to moderate ways the religion is practiced here.

Muslim clerics still hold considerable power in Afghanistan, especially in rural areas where most women wear all-encompassing burqas and are dominated by men.

Hakim said that if Rahman is acquitted, it would be a propaganda win for the Taleban rebels, who have stepped up their insurgency in the past year.

In the months before US-led troops ousted the extremists in 2001, they claimed that Western aid groups were trying to convert Afghan Muslims. They arrested eight foreign aid workers for allegedly preaching Christianity, but later released them unharmed.

very sad

Very sad indeed, nobody should be forced into religion, religion comes from your heart. I'm ignorant of this Sharia law but is that true? if you choose to change religions that should be punished by death? I have difficulty believe that.

Either way, this is sad.

Wheres Liban when you need him!!

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Taghut (evil) and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trust worthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. " (Qur'an 2:256)]


If this man wishes to convert to Christanity than he has free will to do so..its not Sharia Law that muslim have been practising for over 1000 years that stops him..its ignorant people that interpet Sharia Lw anyway they please to without knowledge. This man 600 years ago in Bagdad or Cairo or Damascus would be free to convert to any religion he wants. After all Allah(SWT) is the ultimate judge.

SheikhaS wrote:Wheres Liban when you need him!!

Choco and her pimps kicked him out .....

Sniper, he's on honeymoon after getting married, you moron.

Stop wrecking threads.

Thank you for the clarification Lionheart, I was pretty sure as a muslim you had the choice to change religions if you so wished without penalty of death.

SheikhaS wrote:Wheres Liban when you need him!!

No rule in Sharia law to kill someone who turns his back on Islam. Perhapes there is something in Sunna but these are not binding.

God will judge man but man will not judge man in this case.

Liban wrote:

SheikhaS wrote:Wheres Liban when you need him!!

No rule in Sharia law to kill someone who turns his back on Islam. Perhapes there is something in Sunna but these are not binding.

God will judge man but man will not judge man in this case.

LIBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's let's PARTY!. Welcome back my old adversary.... it was getting boring cos I didnt have anyone to mess with (oh no no no, those special Brits are already messed up). Liban it's time u prove u love Canada and avenge what has happened to u....... so let's LOCK and Load

And yeah there isnt any sharia rule which punishes the renegade.....

Liban, Welcome back man... Seems someone with a rifle have been missing you ALOT.. Hope Mrs Liban don't see this post and start getting second thoughts. hehehe J/k


Well, about the post....

I thought Taliban was out.... So what the hell the "collation forces" have been doing for few years?????

Very sad that this man's own family turned him in. In an article his dad said that if his son had to die for Islam, that so be it - he had shamed his family. Wow, with a father like that...

I thought that Muslims were supposed to respect Christianity because Jesus was also a prophet? Why the harsh stance on being Christian?

Yeah, sad indeed. The Muslim religion embodies peace, love and tolerance, so from my point of view it was out of sync. Interesting Liban-this is then man's misinterpretation of God's law, so to speak.

hahaha i knew Choco will write this topic . Anything go against muslims or anyone ever find any thing to throw the mud on muslim , choco will the first person to write it down in dubai forums

Everyone is free to chose religion , so afghan govt shuld respect the decision of that guy.

HP wrote:hahaha i knew Choco will write this topic . Anything go against muslims or anyone ever find any thing to throw the mud on muslim , choco will the first person to write it down in dubai forums

Everyone is free to chose religion , so afghan govt shuld respect the decision of that guy.

She wasnt shaggin the religion instead was trying to point out the fact that Aftghan gov is misrepresenting the religion.

sniper420 wrote:

HP wrote:hahaha i knew Choco will write this topic . Anything go against muslims or anyone ever find any thing to throw the mud on muslim , choco will the first person to write it down in dubai forums

Everyone is free to chose religion , so afghan govt shuld respect the decision of that guy.

She wasnt shaggin the religion instead was trying to point out the fact that Aftghan gov is misrepresenting the religion.

Ain't that always the way. The politicians get hold of religion and use it for their own ends. There are also too many historical examples of the church getting hold of politics and using it to supress the people.

Lets all convert to Jedi and confuse the hell out of politicians and the church! What would they do then when they had no-one to control?

Knight

sniper

i did not mean sweetheart if she was shagging the religion . I meant she would always find interest in such kind of articles.

Knight


Ain't that always the way. The politicians get hold of religion and use it for their own ends. There are also too many historical examples of the church getting hold of politics and using it to supress the people.

Lets all convert to Jedi and confuse the hell out of politicians and the church! What would they do then when they had no-one to control?

Knight

lets all convert to Islam (sunni) and then there will be no suicide bombing , no middle east issue , no 911 . Just imagine Choco wearing abay and looking at beach like desperate arab girls

HP,

For goodness sake get a life! I wasn't aiming at putting Muslims or Islam down at all. You're typical in your judgmental and preconceived ideas of people in this forum to think that.

Mearly the point is, it's this mans choice. No man has any right to persecute him for his decisions or choices.

Apparently now, he might be set free soon, as the Afghani President is bricking it after outcries from people around the world and letters from the Pope.

HP, the point is, if this man is put to death for converting to Christianity it will only go to reinforce many peoples opinions that SOME Muslims are intolerant of other people and their beliefs, which goes against everything Islam stands for. Get that through your thick head once and for all.

Plus what kind of society are we living in when someone is threatened with death over their belief - it's pathetic. And like I said before you don't see other countries handing death penalties for people converting to Islam do you. Wake up HP!

this new proves Afghanisthan didnt change much even after Taliban regime fell. One good thing when Taliban was there, they tried to reduce opium which was so prevalent b4 taliban regime, now after 2003 it has doubled! many warlords own helicopters and enough money to have huge army! Kharzai's government only holds 30% of Afghanistan.........the rest are Wild Wild West...

Chocoholic wrote:HP,

For goodness sake get a life! I wasn't aiming at putting Muslims or Islam down at all. You're typical in your judgmental and preconceived ideas of people in this forum to think that.

Mearly the point is, it's this mans choice. No man has any right to persecute him for his decisions or choices.

Apparently now, he might be set free soon, as the Afghani President is bricking it after outcries from people around the world and letters from the Pope.

HP, the point is, if this man is put to death for converting to Christianity it will only go to reinforce many peoples opinions that SOME Muslims are intolerant of other people and their beliefs, which goes against everything Islam stands for. Get that through your thick head once and for all.

Plus what kind of society are we living in when someone is threatened with death over their belief - it's pathetic. And like I said before you don't see other countries handing death penalties for people converting to Islam do you. Wake up HP!

Totally agree with Chocaholic!

I been telling HP to go to sleep in other threads...its the best place for him!

There have been many times when people were persecuted (lethally) for conversion to christianity, the worst being The Spanish Inquisition, although this thankfully disappeared in the dark ages. The Afghan politicians may take heed of the international pressure upon them to rescind the decision, as the potential embargoes would be punitive, however I am not sure what notice they would take of the Pope.

Technically, the Roman Catholic Church is a pseudo-political entity, having a land based 'country' of it's own the form of The Vatican, is ruled by an autocratic demagogue, is backed up by enormous financial infrastructure and governs the life of millions all around the world. However, it cannot effectively impose sanctions that would alarm or upset a non catholic country.

The only thing we can be thankful for is the international media being able to expose the story and thereby create the furore that could save this guys life. It is vital to have a free press, or access to freedom of speech through mediums such as this very forum. Re-iterating your words, 'No man has the right to persecute him for his decisions or choices' similarly, we should have the right to free expression in all circles of life. It can only be restricted when the mores of legal decency or incitement are broken. Then it is the place of a duly elected and empowered democratic system to make the decision.

Knight

The poor fella will be released, yes but on the ground that he is insane...

Excuse my french, but that make a world of a difference !

It means that those morrons that govern Affganistan won't admit that u have the right to choose ur own religion or change it...
And once again some people interpret Quran in their on interest to justify another crime...

Is anyone ever going to do something about it ?

I mean why some Muslim country in the world don't stand and say something when people commit a crime in the name of Islam???

Sadly I suspect he might get released and then lynched on the outside, then the Afghani governemtn can deny any involvement.

Chocoholic wrote:Sadly I suspect he might get released and then lynched on the outside, then the Afghani governemtn can deny any involvement.

in that case I guess he will need protection from international force or ISAF forces there.....it's sad to see ppl retrograding and projecting bad image of religion........if u read Moors in Spain some 5 hundred yrs ago, there were advanced compared to ppl in Afghan today.

he was released to undisclosed location this morning. he will probably leave and get asylum somewhere except germany where he has a criminal record.

it seems to me today the fastest way to make international headlines is to be muslim and do something reallly anti-mulsim. i.e speak for the war on iraq, and against the palestinians .. or just converting to christianity. being mulsim anti-mulsim is the new cool thing to be !

Saying that the guy is insane is probably the excuse they are using to let him off and still save face. Who cares - the guy will escape with his life

His life maybe, but not with his daughters which means his family accomplished what they wanted to, blocked his ability to be with his children.

I read after the fact that he had had a falling out with his family, so that is why his parents reported him in the first place. Sad about the whole family situation

MaaaD wrote:he was released to undisclosed location this morning. he will probably leave and get asylum somewhere except germany where he has a criminal record.

it seems to me today the fastest way to make international headlines is to be muslim and do something reallly anti-mulsim. i.e speak for the war on iraq, and against the palestinians .. or just converting to christianity. being mulsim anti-mulsim is the new cool thing to be !

that is god damn true......did u see the "muslim madonna" in CNN the other day........

The man has found asylum in Italy.

Chocoholic wrote:The man has found asylum in Italy.

YAhooooooo.....Now all he has to do is to write a book stating "the struggles with Islam fundamentalists" and he shall have some good cash.