Afghan man faces death penalty for religious conversion

[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1598997.htm]

The World Today - Thursday, 23 March , 2006 12:30:00
Reporter: John Shovelan
ELEANOR HALL: United States President George W. Bush has added his voice to those expressing concern about the case of an Afghan man who is facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Abdul Rahman has been jailed and charged with rejecting the Muslim religion, and a judge in Afghanistan has said he could be executed under Sharia law if he refuses to return to the faith.

But while international pressure is growing on the Afghan Government to intervene, the Government in Kabul says it's up to the courts to decide the matter.

From Washington John Shovelan reports.

JOHN SHOVELAN: The Afghan legal system is a mix of civil and Sharia or Islamic law and Sharia law stipulates death for anyone who deserts their faith.

Conservative commentators in the US have been urging the Bush administration to intervene on behalf of Abdur Rahman.

COMMENTATOR: You know this really is, it's an outrage and it's a shame.

JOHN SHOVELAN: Germany, Canada and Italy, all with troops in Afghanistan have raised their concerns about the case and some politicians have called for a troop withdrawal unless the case against Abdur Rahman is dropped.

President Bush today said he hoped Afghanistan would abide by the universal principle of freedom.

GEORGE BUSH: I'm troubled when I hear, deeply troubled when I hear the fact that a person who has converted away from Islam may be held to account. That's not the universal application of the values that I talked about. I look forward to working with the Government of that country to make sure that people are protected in their capacity to worship.

JOHN SHOVELAN: The case is sensitive for the Afghan Government which depends on foreign troops and also depends on foreign aid to support its economy.

But he's also under pressure from conservative supporters of Islamic law.

Rahman is reported to have told a judge at a preliminary hearing last week, he became a Christian while working for an aid group, which was helping Afghan refugees.
He's quoted saying, "I'm not an apostate. I'm obedient to God, but I'm a Christian. That's my choice."

The US Undersecretary of State, Nicholas Burns, raised the case with the visiting Afghan Foreign Minister earlier this week.

NICHOLAS BURNS: We certainly will respect the sovereignty of the Afghan authorities and the Afghan system.

From an American point of view, people should be free to choose their own religion and people should not receive any severe penalties, certainly not penalty of death or in our case, we would even say penalty of imprisonment, for having made a personal choice as to what religion that person wishes to follow.

JOHN SHOVELAN: The senior UN representative in Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, said in a statement, he was following the case with grave concern.

He said, "It is my wish that Mr Rahman's legal and human rights will be upheld and that this matter does not create a rift between Afghanistan and its international partners."

He went on, "Freedom of religion, including the freedom to change one's religion, was enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Afghanistan had adhered to."

The case prompted a question to President Bush during his visit today to West Virginia.

REPORTER: Do you have an army of sociologists to go over there and change that country or are you hoping that in a couple of decades that we can change the mindset over there?

GEORGE BUSH: No, I appreciate the question, it's a very legitimate question.

JOHN SHOVELAN: Some Afghan officials have raised the questions about Mr Rahman's mental state and there have a been some reports that he will plead innocent, because he is not of sound mind.

John Shovelan, Washington.

ELEANOR HALL: A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer says the Australian Government is a long-standing supporter of religious freedom, and that the Minister hopes the Afghan Government respects Mr Rahman's religious rights.