It would appear that the Second Battle for Afghanistan has begun. The first was the invasion of 2001 that saw the Taliban and Al Qaeda ejected from the country and the installation of a new regime accomplished mainly thru the efforts of America and her allies. This second battle has been in the cards from the beginning because the Afghan constitution is based on Islamic law that allows the death penalty for those Muslims who convert to Christianity.
This harsh penalty is unacceptable to the Western democracies where Freedom of Religion is a long established human right. Thus the battle lines are drawn between reaction and liberty, and neither side can compromise its essential principles.
The case of Abdul Rahman, who faces execution in Afghanistan for having become a Christian 15 years ago, is about as clear-cut as it could be. A democracy founded on the principles of freedom and tolerance does not kill religious dissenters. This was why Afghanistan under the Taliban was considered one of the most oppressive countries in the world. What have American soldiers achieved if they have not eliminated this barbaric medieval legacy?
His trial has fired passions in this conservative Muslim nation and highlighted a conflict of values between Afghanistan and its Western backers.
"Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die," said cleric Abdul Raoulf, who is considered a moderate and was jailed three times for opposing the Taliban before the hard-line regime was ousted in 2001.
The trial, which began last week, has caused an international outcry. President Bush has said he is "deeply troubled" by the case and expects the country to "honor the universal principle of freedom."
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