I'm glad that the case has been dismissed, but for lack of evidence?

An Afghan court has dismissed case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity for lack of evidence, an official said Sunday...

...Rahman had...been begging his guards to provide him with a Bible.

Something does not compute here. Clearly this was a political decision, taken to deal with the international firestorm (though there wasn't enough of one, in my opinion, from either the State Department or some of our allies). The problem is that it only deals with this one case, and doesn't address the underlying issue--Sharia law. Why won't this come up again?

Releasing the guy from jail isn't doing him any favors either.

Basically setting him free is a death sentence without the official stamp of the government. Their prescribed punishment is carried out and their hands are technically clean.

We'll see. If he turns up dead, it will get out.

As for your question, Rand, they punted. They can't afford to offend the mullahs too much, and they can't afford to risk an American backlash, so they found a way, under any pretenses possible, to get rid of the problem.

This will definitely come up again. Either you are willing to co-exist with other religions, or you are not--and supremacy is not a form of co-existence.

My impression is that "lack of evidence" is a standard possible outcome under Sharia law. For example, as I recall, for the crime of adultery by a wife, there must be a number of witnesses (four?). It'd be pretty easy to rule that one or more of them didn't really qualify. It might even be invoked in circumstances (like this one) where the punishment doesn't fit the "crime".

Unfortunately, there's a bunch of people there who seem willing to take the law in their own hands for the propaganda value. I hope this guy has someone watching his back.

His first trip out of jail better be to the US embassy with an asylum request. Otherwise, his days are numbered. One mullah was even asked in an interview what would happen if he was released. He called on the people to rip him into so many pieces, that they couldn't tell it was him.

Religion of peace, and all that.

Bob

At the very least, somebody better be following him around with a video camera. The death rate in Afghanistan from all causes is estimated at 20.75 deaths/1,000 population, which is over 2½ times the US rate (source). Male life expectancy in that country is a bit under 43 years. It'd be awfully easy for this guy to be "disappeared."

"I hope this guy has someone watching his back." His family sure won't! I can't believe that a religion could be so insanely mind-controlling that it could cause someone's own family to call for your death! Can we call this barbaric yet? Can we as a nation at least wield some moral shame against these people?

I'm glad that they released the guy and aren't following through with this. However, I agree-I fear for his life once he is released. Is it true that his former wife and daughters turned him in to the authorities?? That's terrible!

His wife turned him in after putting up with it for years in order to get the upper hand in a child custody case. A very western motivation with some seriously disastrous consequences.

Bob

He's requesting asylum, all right.

Wait until some afghan gets the bright idea to convert to
Judaism.