Abdul Rahman could be a dead man in approximately 2 months time. After being turned in by his own parents, who have publicly declared their shame over his actions, the renegade Afghan must either atone for his crime or be declared mentally incompetent in order to avoid a court-sanctioned execution.
What was Rahman’s crime? He became a Christian.
During a preliminary hearing, Rahman explained to the judge that he converted from Islam (practiced by over 99% of the Afghan population) 15 years ago while helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan. It is not known why his family suddenly decided to turn him in but there is obviously no statute of limitations on converting from Islam, which amounts to apostasy under Sharia Law (which is still part of Afghanistan’s legal code) and is punishable by death.
Capital punishment for Christian converts will hardly play well with Evangelicals in the West, who to date have been among the war’s greatest proponents. Already, Dubya is getting heat for his lackluster initial response, and if the dissent intensifies Bush could find even more voices joining the increasingly Republican chorus of war-weary Americans. After all, what has truly been accomplished in the “liberated†states if religious freedom can be so easily and publicly trampled despite a 3-year military presence?
Perhaps this is the first true test of George W Bush’s political and social reorganization of the Middle East. Far beyond simply battling terrorism, America has jumped with both feet into the nation-building business. For Afghanistan, this has included a enticing a persistent international military presence, building schools that admit women, shutting down opium production facilities and most importantly propping up Hamid Karzai, the West-friendly moderate who will be remembered as Afghanistan’s first democratically elected president since the fall of the Taliban. Karzai is going to be key in demonstrating the viability of the American democratic model: Bush cannot use military force to overrun a court decision in a nation America supposedly liberated 3 years ago. Exerting heavy political pressure on the Afghans is equally unwise, as it gives the impression of a sham democracy. Instead, the solution must be born of Afghan initiative. Karzai has at least one very important card to play – under the United Nations, Afghanistan was one of the 48 member states to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration’s view on religious freedom is clear:
Article 18.
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
-UN Declaration of Human Rights
Karzai’s value as an ally against the war on terror must be questioned if he does not at attempt to use this premise to directly or indirectly influence Rahman’s freedom (the declaration is not legally binding). As of writing this post, the Afghanstian government has staunchly declared not to interfere with the court decision; the government’s strongest words have been reserved for German politicians who proposed withdrawing troops in protest of Abdul Rahman’s execution. Hardly inspiring.
Although international officials have gone on record stating that Rahman’s execution is doubtful, his fate is still subject to more speculation than an Iraqi dinar. Now is the time for Hamid Karzai and the Afghanistan government to openly show support for religious freedom and move to alter any laws that stand in obstruction of that goal. Having Rahman declared incompetent may spare his life, but that alone is simply not good enough.
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