Abdul Rahman, an Afghan citizen, is facing a possible death sentence. His crime? He abandoned Islam and converted to Christianity.
You may have thought that this type of sentence was disposed of along with the Taliban. But under its new constitution, Afghanistan is governed first and foremost by the strict Sharia brand of Islamic law. Under that law code, conversion from Islam is a crime punishable by death, usually by brutal methods.
The prosecutor in Mr. Rahman’s case is taking advantage of that and is pushing for a death sentence. The judge has yet to rule, but has made statements indicating that he agrees conversion is a very serious crime.
This case poses a very interesting question for the United States: How do we react? (more…)
