This morning I read disturbing news about an Afghan that converted to Christianity and now might be facing the death penalty for choosing a religion different from Islam.
A man could be sentenced to death after being charged with converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under Afghanistan’s shariah laws, a judge said yesterday. The trial is thought to be the first of its kind in Afghanistan and highlights a struggle between religious conservatives and reformists over what shape Islam will take four years after the fall of the Taliban.
Abdul Rahman, 41, was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told Associated Press. The accused was charged with rejecting Islam. During the one-day hearing on Thursday, the defendant allegedly confessed to converting to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Judge Mawlavezada said. Source: [The Guardian]
What’s really disturbing about all this, in my opinion, is that this is happening in the supposedly post-Taliban era. It is no secret that those that covert to Christianity in the Arab and the Muslim world get harassed, but to be threatened with death is really horrendous.
Sadly enough, Jordan is another country where converts to Christianity will not only be ostracized, but will be also harassed by the authorities. To be fair, anyone changing religion in Jordan, whether from Islam to Christianity or vise versa, faces social ostracization. The difference, though, is that in the case of converting to Christianity one can expect to spend some time behind bars as was the case with a Jordanian couple I blogged about last year.
Ask Samer and Abeer. Last September Jordanian security police connected to the country’s Mukhabarat, or intelligence agency, showed up at the couple’s home unannounced. They arrested Samer and detained him overnight. Samer’s crime: coming to faith in Jesus Christ 14 years ago. Originally a Muslim, Samer over the years since his conversion has been questioned several times by security police but never detained. This time, the police turned him over to the Islamic courts. The judges convicted Samer of apostasy. In a Nov. 23 decision the court decreed that his identification papers must be changed from "Muslim" to "no religion;" that he had forfeited any inheritance; that his marriage to Abeer is now illegal and therefore he is not entitled to custody of his son.
The US State Department 2005 report on religious freedom in Jordan also mentions this issue :
Members of unrecognized religious groups and converts from Islam face legal discrimination and bureaucratic difficulties in personal status cases. Converts from Islam additionally risk the loss of civil rights. There is no statute that expressly forbids proselytizing Muslims. However, Shari’a courts have the authority to prosecute proselytizers.
I’m fully aware that this topic is very controversial so I’m not going to say much besides reiterating what I said last year: In my humble, unbiased opinion I think that if Jordan intends to tread on a truly democratic path, then its citizens should be given the basic right of practicing a religion of their own choosing.
Linda, does your religion preach hate? If you really know your religion, or care for it!
Well I also happen to know a Jordanian girl who was totally abandoned by her family just for the reason of converting from Christianity to Islam.
Natasha, you are right! This is a controversial issue. But one small note, if you are trying to shed some light on a certain religion by focusing on a small group (example at the start of my comment), then try to be more objective by looking at the bigger picture.
Okay, lets not even go with wafa sultan, because to think that only one religion, and no other religion preaches hate is an ignorant comment to make. goes to show you education does not always make us openminded.
lets face it guys! all religions and cultures at one point in time have been used toward evil, and i repeat, USED!
Religions are suppsed to be peacful. It is their implementation for personal or political gains that ruin them. As marx says it best, religion is a means to seperate societies.
And you guys, let us not forget how America came to be. Those who came to America on the Pinta, santa maria, and i know there was another one boat, came here to practice their religion freely, because they were being persecuted in Britan. Hello, do we not remember Martin Luther? oh, and the same people who felt persecuted and came to the new land, went ahead and forced the natives to practice christianity, and if they didnt, they were massacered. Hello, does the word mission ring a bell to anyone – how about manifest freaking destiny.
Oh, and how about the poor salem witch trials.
And, oh yeah, remember ads in the newspaper for job openings and apartments, where at the bottom they would state: “Jews / Blacks / Irsih catholics/ need not apply.”
So everyone getting ready to bash Islam and think their own religion is all high and mighty should think again. Give it time, history will pass, and I am sure the next big religion will be the new enemy.
And for anyone reading my comment thinking i am muslim, well you are wrong. I am a catholic so blah blah blah.
Kinzi,
Thank you for your comment.As i have mentioned before, many Christian friends were also caught up in the fight againest them from their families when they converted to Islam. I strongly think that issues like that are still not dealt with proparly by christians too in this part of the world. The only progress that will ever be made is when Islam is not stereo-typed and when chrisitans can dialouge this as well and not bury the issue. Enough said for me…out of my respect of freedom of religions and worships , this is where i choose to stop.
Muna
Muna, I think it is very important for Natasha to post this, especially as a Christian myself. The said couple are dear friends of mine, and to have watched what they went through was appalling. And as of this week, it is happening with another family.
I hope no Islam-bashing goes on as well. When Muslims begin to dialogue on these issues, as both Nas and Batir are, instead of burying them,
progress can be made.
Tash, This is the first time ever i actually post any comment on your blog although i enjoy reading it a lot. There will be no Islam bashing as someone posted , but there will be the issue of i guess having some sort of respect for other religions and their beliefes. I strongly appose your publication of this issue on this blog. This will only further damage people’s idea and thoughts of Islam when it hasnt been explained proparly. I am sure many christians would be feeling the same if not more strongly about converts to Islam, not to mention many many stories of people dis-owning their own children that we have witnessed throughout our growing up together . I think that before posting anything as critical as this issue , a lot of information and a lot of research needs to be done so people who are not familiar with The Islam religion will not misunderstand the whole concept.. .I think enough Islam bashing has been going on for too long especially with the latest digusting publications that its time to stop now. If everyone is to have the freedom of what or who to worship then i suggest we leave the issues of discussing religions alone as some sort of respect for different people and their different beliefs.
See how Algeria today issued a law banning any form of spreading any religion but Islam. Moslem seem to be very scared and emotional against loosing any moslem. On the other hand, not a single European or any country in the world seems to treat its Christian citizens the same. You go and believ in what you want, we are not scared to loose any to any religion; everyone is to give an account before God one day, and not before any human or government. I like how Dr. Wafa Sultan expressed her opinion, go and google her name and read.
if someone cared to actually read the sharia laws they would discover that God makes it impossible for men to punish men with the penalty of death. if someone care to actually analyze sharia instead of taking everything at face value they would discover that in Islam Allah swt places Himself as the ultimate judge of all things and the dealer of all punishments, and allows sharia law only to operate as divine laws which seek to protect a society, a community, an ummah. with regards to apostacy or adultry or any other law that has the maximum punishment of death, it is used as a last resort. the circumstances for this aghan to be dealth this penalty according to the sharia have to be so extreme, or detailed, that if someone actually cared to read the sharia they’d discover that 99% of these people do not fit the description.
sadly no one does
because the media doesn’t lie
and also people are generally stupid. sharia should be taken more seriously if people wish for it to be applied. otherwise we’re just putting water in the gas tank of a ferrari.
i just wanted to throw my 2 cents in before any potential Islam bashing takes place. but if anyone wants to get critical about it feel free to email me through my blog.
thanks
This is a very sensitive issue that draws a clear line between religion and secularism. Although Jordan and some other muslim countries seem to be semi-liberal thay can never allow conversion from Islam to Christianity since this will inflame the public. I think this is one of the most disturbing issues in the philosophy of Islam which I, as a non-religious muslim find hard to came to terms with. Personal rights to embrace any religion is a basic human right and this shows the limits of tolerance.
Natasha,
Thank you for shedding light on this, I think it is an important issue we need to address in the Arab/Muslim world.
About a month ago, I was watching Mahmoud Said as he interviewed a religious scholar. I don’t recall the guest’s name, but I was pleasantly surprised when he said Sharia does not call for killing of converts from Islam (AlReddah). As expected, Said changed the subject and moved on.
The thought that someone should be killed for leaving Islam is incredibly illogical and, to me at least, seems to be contradictory to Islam’s core message. But it was interesting to see someone actually say it and on Arab TV.