Afghan Apostasy
A few random thoughts on the formerly-Muslim Christian in Afghanistan who is facing the death penalty:
- He converted sixteen years ago
- Why does Saudi Arabia, which also makes conversion away from Islam a capital offense, get a free pass?
- If he would have converted to Judaism, I doubt he would have even made it this far
- I wonder what Sistani's opinion is on this; I believe Shi'ite Iran has similar rules
For once, I'm actually sympathetic to the Christian Right's victim shtick.
It's a crazy story. How did his Christianity not piss them off for the prior 15 years is beyond me. But anything those wacky Islamic extremists want to do to prove they are as crazy as rumors have them, is aces by me. Keep that crazy train running Achmed ;)
Posted by: Ari on March 26, 2006 5:32 PM | permalinkThe Afghani clerics and government are only displaying tolearance and harmony of the kind regularly advocated by the Little Green Footballs crowd. Jingoism and unthinking loyalty cut both ways.
As for this period of sixteen years: maybe he stayed "in the closet" until the new constitution was in place, but I suspect the reason he is being charged now is that he recently pissed someone off, and that person dobbed him in.
The clerics and government are using Abdul Rahman's life as a pawn in their game of "rule the roost", and are rightly condemned for doing so.
Posted by: Alan Green on March 26, 2006 6:37 PM | permalinkI would imagine that the LGF (comments) crowd would support the death penalty for anyone who converted *to* Islam. Here's a slightly milder example of their insanity: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=16905#c0012
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on March 26, 2006 7:44 PM | permalinkSpeaking of Islamic insanity, did you hear about the guy who said "divorce" three times in his sleep and is now forced to separate from his wife?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/27/india.religion.reut/index.html
Posted by: Od-ll on March 27, 2006 1:23 PM | permalink"For once, I'm actually sympathetic to the Christian Right's victim shtick."
I know, isn't it a weird feeling?
Of course, if he had converted to something else, they wouldn't give two shits, so....
Posted by: Keesey on March 27, 2006 1:39 PM | permalinkI'd say part of the issue here is who the U.S. chooses as allies. As Afghanistan isn't the only U.S.-allied government where Muslim converts to Christianity are threatened with execution.
Saudi Arabia neither permits conversion from Islam nor allows other religions in the kingdom. Sharia, the law of the land, considers conversion to any religion apostasy and the punishment is death.
Egypt does not have laws criminalizing apostasy, but those who do convert can still face prosecution.
But even Israel has laws against missionary activities among Jews, though it does not punish converts.
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