Four years ago, I wrote about the case of Abdul Rahman , an Afghan convert to Christianity who was charged with apostasy (punishable by execution under Islamic law). Thanks to worldwide pressure on the Karzai government, he was released and offered asylum in Italy.
As I noted in my earlier piece, the Afghan Constitution in its own terms guarantees religious freedom and expresses respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also affirms Afghanistan’s status as an Islamic state and holds that “no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam.” The tensions between these provisions are obvious and are described in the State Department’s recently released annual report on International Religious Freedom .
Well, now we have another case— Said Musa , another convert, who has been held in prison since May and was set to face a judge yesterday. He was able to smuggle a letter out of prison and has appealed to (among others) President Obama for assistance.
Ann Althouse notes that four years ago, President Bush asked for Abdul Rahman’s release, and wonders whether President Obama will do the same in this case. Let’s hope and pray that he lives up to the strong statements in defense of religious liberty that he has from time to time made.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
