ACLJ to Ask for Legal Protection for Christian Convert from Islam

This morning at 9:30 a.m., I activated our American Center for Law and Justice offices in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, as well as our European Centre for Law and Justice in Strasbourg, France, to come to the aid of a 41-year-old man named Abdul Rahman.  Mr. Rahman faces the death penalty for becoming a Christian.  In a case that is now the first of its kind under the new constitution of Afghanistan, which was ratified in 2004, Abdul Rahman is being charged with leaving the faith of Islam for Christianity.  Under Sharia law, this is a crime punishable by death.  Abdul stood on trial last Thursday and confessed to having converted to Christianity 16 years ago while working as an aid worker in Pakistan.  The trial was one day long and the Judge is expected to issue a ruling within the next two months.  Importantly, the Judge has given interviews to the press and one of his most significant quotes states, We are not against any particular religion in the world.  But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law.  Its an attack on Islam.  The President and other diplomats in Washington have begun to put some pressure on Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.   

We are preparing a comprehensive memorandum of law that will be circulated both to U.S. Congressmen and Senators as well as Members of the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg, France.  We are also sending letters to President Bush, President Karzai and the Ambassador to the United States from Afghanistan.  Under the Afghanistan Constitution, specifically, Article 7 states: (1)  The state shall abide by the UN Charter, international treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan has signed, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Under the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights which provides the strongest language in defense of Mr. Rahman, Article 18 states:  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. 

We plan on issuing letters this afternoon and legal memorandums in the next few days.  We will keep you posted.