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April
3, 2006
VOL.
44, NO. 7Oakland,
CA
Afghan court
dismisses Christian
facing death for conversion
KABUL, Afghanistan
(CNS) -- An Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting to Christianity
has accepted asylum in Italy after his release from prison.
The court dismissed the case March 26 after the prosecution dropped charges
against Abdul Rahman, 41, who was jailed after declaring his conversion
to police officers, The Associated Press reported March 28. Rahman disappeared
after his release, apparently out of fear for his life, because Muslim
clerics still demanded his death, AP reported.
Deputy Attorney General Mohammed Eshak Aloko told AP that prosecutors
issued a letter for Rahman’s release because “he was mentally
unfit to stand trial.”
Rahman reportedly became a Christian several years ago, after working
for a Christian aid agency in Pakistan. The Afghan Supreme Court had said
Rahman could face the death penalty unless he reverted to Islam, prompting
a worldwide outcry.
In a telegram sent March 25, Pope Benedict XVI urged Afghan authorities
to drop charges against Rahman.
The telegram to Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the pope’s appeal
was inspired by “profound human compassion” and by “the
firm belief in the dignity of human life and respect for every person’s
freedom of conscience and religion.”
The telegram on behalf of the pope was signed by Cardinal Angelo Sodano,
Vatican secretary of state.
“I am certain, Mr. President, that dropping the case against Mr.
Rahman would bestow great honor upon the Afghan people and would raise
a chorus of admiration in the international community,” the telegram
said.
“It would then contribute in a most significant way to our common
mission to foster mutual understanding and respect among the world’s
different religions and cultures,” it said.
The case has generated discussion about the extent of religious freedom
in Afghanistan, whose government is supported by a strong U.S. military
presence. Despite the defeat of the Taliban regime in 2001, Islamic law
remains in force, and many Muslim leaders in the country hold strong views
about conversion.
Christians are a tiny minority in Afghanistan, numbering only a few thousand.
An estimated 99 percent of the population is Muslim.
The pope spoke about religious freedom at his weekly blessing at the Vatican
March 26. He did not name specific countries, but said some governments,
while adhering to human rights on paper, in practice impose many restrictions
on religious liberty.
He encouraged minority Christian communities in such situations to “persevere
in the patience and charity of Christ.”
“To all those working in the service of the Gospel in such difficult
situations, I want to express my heartfelt solidarity in the name of the
entire church and assure you of my daily remembrance in prayer,”
he said.
Abdul
Rahman
CNS photo/Reuters TV
