We've been following the story of Abdul Rahman, the Afghani man facing a death sentence in Afghanistan for the crime of leaving Islam for Christianity. This is not an aberration; Islam has a long history of murdering those who "jilt" her. Despite the stories of happy non-Muslim dhimmis living contentedly under Muslim rule and denial of the existence of any forced conversions, reality is quite different. If Islam is so wonderful, why is it necessary to threaten any who would leave it with death?
We fervently hope that the government of Afghanistan will turn away from barbarism. There is some hope of that, according to Amir Shah of the AP:
Karzai Under Pressure to Free Christian: Top officials have said Abdul Rahman, who faces a possible death sentence for alleged apostasy, will be released soon, but clerics have questioned Karzai's authority to order his release and have warned of a possible revolt if he tries.
"The Quran is very clear and the words of our prophet are very clear. There can only be one outcome: death," said cleric Khoja Ahmad Sediqi, who is also a member of the Supreme Court. "If Karzai releases him, it will play into the hands of our enemy and there could be an uprising."
Rahman is being prosecuted under Afghanistan's Islamic laws for converting 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
The case has put Karzai in an awkward position.
While the United States, Britain and other countries that prop up his government have demanded Rahman's release, the president would be reluctant to offend Islamic sensibilities at home or alienate religious conservatives who wield considerable power.
The use of the phrase "prop up" seems inappropriately nasty and cynical in a news report. No MSM bias here, though.
The next quote, coming in 2006, is a strong candidate for stupidest statement of the year:
A respected cleric in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Mohammed Qasim, said, "We don't care if the West drops its support for us. God will look after Afghanistan."
What really surpised us about this story, though, is the position of
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR:
“Religious decisions should be matters of personal choice, not a cause for state intervention. Faith imposed by force is not true belief, but coercion. Islam has no need to compel belief in its divine truth. As the Quran states: ‘Truth stands out clear from error. Therefore, whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks.’ (2:256)
“We urge the government of Afghanistan to order the immediate release of Mr. Abdul Rahman.”
Although hailed as "moderate," CAIR is often little more than an appologist for Islamic militancy. At least in this case they deserve credit for getting things right.
