Christian Man in Afghanistan Released!

Okay, to start this off, let me say that in my last post I was extremely upset and sort of typed that all out in a huff. I think I was too hard on muslims or at least wasn't very Christian in my reaction. Anyway, hope you all will forgive that moment of sporatic anger on my part...

So, read for yourselves!

An Afghan man who had faced the death penalty for converting from Islam Christianity has been released from prison after the case was dropped, the justice minister said Tuesday.

The announcement came after the United Nations said Abdul Rahman has appealed for asylum outside Afghanistan and that the world body was working to find a country willing to take him. Justice Minister Mohammed Sarwar Danish told The Associated Press that the 41-year-old was released from the high-security Policharki prison on the outskirts of Kabul late Monday. "We released him last night because the prosecutors told us to," he said. "His family was there when he was freed, but I don't know where he was taken."

Deputy Attorney General Mohammed Eshak Aloko told the AP that prosecutors had issued a letter calling for Rahman's release because "he was mentally unfit to stand trial." He also said he did not know where he was being held. He said Rahman may be sent overseas for medical treatment.

Hours earlier, hundreds of clerics, students and others chanting "Death to Christians!" marched through the northern Afghan Mazar-i-Sharif to protest the court's decision Sunday to dismiss the case. "Abdul Rahman must be killed. Islam demands it," said senior Cleric Faiez Mohammed, from the nearby northern city of Kunduz. "The Christian foreigners occupying Afghanistan are attacking our religion."

Several Muslim clerics have threatened to incite Afghans to kill Rahman if he is freed, saying that he is clearly guilty of apostasy and deserves to die.

The case set off an outcry in the United States and other nations that helped oust the hard-line Taliban regime in late 2001 and provide aid and military support for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. President Bush and others insisted Afghanistan protect personal beliefs.

U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards said Rahman has asked for asylum "outside Afghanistan." "We expect this will be provided by one of the countries interested in a peaceful solution to this case," he said.

No country has yet offered asylum to Rahman, said an official familiar with the case who declined to be named because of its sensitivity.

Well, can't say as I too thrilled as to the means of his release, but at least he's been released at all. Mentally unfit... yeah right. Who's going to believe that? Oh well... I guess the greatest fear right now is that he may be killed by muslim clerics/enraged populace. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens, but I certainly hope he's able to get out of the country before it does. I doubt if he'll ever be able to live a public life in Afghanistan ever again unless he wants to risk being killed by fanatics.

Anyway, interesting to see where he'll go from here... Don't stop praying!