This morning at 10 oclock, our office delivered legal memorandums and letters to President Bush, President Karzai, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Afghanistan Ambassador Jawad. We have provided an analysis of the Afghan Constitution and have concluded that under Afghan law, Mr. Rahman is protected in his conversion to Christianity. The letter, which can be read by clicking here, asks that President Karzai exercise his constitutional authority to not allow this prosecution to move forward. We pointed out that this is an international issue of human rights and not simply a domestic matter for the Afghan government. Although Islam is the official religion of Afghanistan, Article 7 of the Constitution specifically incorporates the United Nations declaration of universal rights, which allow for religious freedom, including changing ones religion.
Our Office of Governmental Affairs in Washington, DC, as well as our offices in Europe, is working on this matter; and we will keep everyone posted as the issues progress. For more information on this case, please read yesterdays Notebook entry below:
March 22, 2006
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.
