In 2001 in the wake of the September 11th attacks, the US military launched Operation Infinite Justice (later renamed Enduring Freedom), to root out the enemy from its base of support in Afghanistan. Under its new moniker “Enduring Freedom,” the military’s goals were expanded to not only removing the notorious Taleban/Al Qaeda coalition from power, but also entrenching democratic freedoms in that war torn country.
Fast forward to Afghanistan 2006. The Taleban is long gone, Al Qaeda has abandoned the country for greener pastures and a democratic government with a constitution ensuring democratic freedom has been adopted in Afghanistan. Among the many freedoms protected under the Afghan constitution is Freedom of Religion, one of the Four Freedoms for which Americans have fought and died for, too many times to count.
Afghanistan, while ostensibly supporting freedom of religion, has also enshrined Sharia (Islamic) Law as the foundation of is criminal and judicial code. Given such reality it was only a matter of time before the principle of religious freedom was challenged. How can a country profess tolerance for varying faiths (or the absence of faith) when the nation’s court determine ones fate based on the Koran?
Abdul Rahman, found out the hard way that Sharia and religious freedom mix about as well as oil and water. Rahman is an Afghan who converted to Christianity 16 years ago. Rahman was reported to the authorities by his family who challenged his custody claims in a divorce proceeding due to his religious conversion in 1990. Like the 19th century British policy of “once a subject always a subject,” the conservative clerics saw Rahman’s conversion as treachery. He was threatened with arrest and eventual execution if he did now disavow Christ and return to the Islamic fold.
Islamic law calls for the death of any adult male who converts unless they suffer from a mental disability, so much for the principle of freedom. Clearly Islam is less concerned about saving souls and more concerned about imposing a rigorous and draconian social order. Rahman didn’t know his place and was arrested and put on trial after he refused to return to Islam. Afghan Prosecutors called for the death penalty as Rahman’s case was a clear cut case of apostasy. As Muhammad in his infinite wisdom said: “If anyone changes his religion, kill him,” thus forming the basis of the charges under Sharia.
Surely American and colation forces didn’t fight and die to enshrine religious intolerance and state sponsored death for so-called apostates. Given the instense media scrutiny and political pressure this case has created, leaders in Afhghanistan have sought a middle road, intsense pressure from the EU and the US has no doubt weighed on the Afghan leadership, but so too have calls for Rahman’s death, which have been echoed from Mosques and political leaders across the country. To find a solution, judicial leaders had moved to have Rahman declared mentally unfit, afterall anyone who would convert from the peaceful and tolerant and forward thinking Islamic faith is surely insane. While the government may be seeking ameans to sweep this case under the rug, it is unlikely the radicals and concervatives on the streets of Kabul and other Afghan cities will be so eager to forget, they have staged massive protests calling for Rahman’s death, after all he has insulted God.
Now it appears that Rahman will indeed be freed, averting a major embraassment for President Bush, but the principle of religious freedom remains under threat in Afghanistan and soon we will again hear calls for the death of a Christian or other non-Muslim who dares challenge the Islamic faith.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1771924
