TMCnet News
Man facing death for being a Christian(Evening Standard Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)A MAN in Afghanistan is on trial for his life for converting from being a Muslim to Christianity. Abdul Rahman, 41, was caught carrying the Bible and faces the death penalty under Islamic law. The court in the Afghan capital offered to drop the charges if he converted back to Islam but he has refused. This would make him a Christian martyr if he dies in front of the firing squad. The trial highlights a struggle between religious conservatives and reformists in the country four years after the fundamentalist Taliban regime was ousted by American and British troops. The execution would be a massive embarrassment for Tony Blair and George Bush. Mr Rahman was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian. He admitted during his trial that he converted while he was a medical aid worker with a Christian group helping Afghani refugees in Pakistan. Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada said: "We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law. It is an attack on Islam." Crime: a judge holds the bible found on Rahman |