From the BBC News:
An Afghan man charged with converting to Christianity is set to be released from jail while his case is reviewed.Good news, right? A victory for human rights and freedom, right? Perhaps, or perhaps not. First, there seems to be some question as to whether the charges against Abdul Rahman are being dropped or just temporarily suspended.
- The BBC story reports that the case is being sent back to the Afghan attorney general because of "gaps in the evidence."
- A CBC story quotes an anonymous Afghan official as saying the charges have been thrown out for lack of evidence.
- The Daily Telegraph reports that both may be true - that the Afghan Supreme Court has dropped the case for lack of evidence, and the Afghan Attorney General will be further investigating the case, including medical testing of Mr. Rahman.
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quotes prosecutor Zemaray Hamidi: "The public Security Court in Kabul has decided that the person, based on the claims of his daughter, his cousin, and himself, has mental illness. So he should be referred to a mental-health hospital, so they can say what his problem is."
Second, after the charges were delayed/dropped, Mr. Rahman was transferred to a maximum security prison, supposedly due to threats made against him by fellow prisoners at a police holding facility. ABC News reports that the Policharki Prison holds about 2000 inmates, including neary 400 al-Qaeda & Taliban prisoners.
Third, there has been no indication that Mr. Rahman will be offered any protection if he is actually freed by the courts. The ABC News story refers to an anonymous Western diplomat as referring to "questions" as to whether Mr. Rahman would remain in Afghanistan or be exiled to another country.
The war isn't over. The battle hasn't even been decided yet. This is at best a temporary victory in a single skirmish. We shouldn't let up on pressuring the Afghan government to recognize religious freedom for all persons, in full compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and accepted international norms.
As usual, Michelle Malkin is all over the breaking news in the Rahman case, and comes to much the same conclusion: "This story is far from over." Lots of other good writing and blogging:
- Mark Steyn: Islam's No-Exit Strategy (quoted in Michelle Malkin yesterday)
- Captain's Quarters: Rahman Unbound
- Amy Welborn: To be released?
- Dr. John Mark Reynolds: On Religious Liberty & Conversion
- Smart Christian: Abdul Rahman to be released
- Stones Cry Out: Is Democracy Dead in Afghanistan?
- The Anchoress: Abdul Rahman's fate is still not clear
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