Rice Calls Karzai on Christian Convert's Fate

Thursday, March 23, 2006

STORIES BACKGROUND LINKS
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Clerics Call for Christian Convert's Death Despite Western Outrage
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Pressure Mounts for Way Out on Christian Convert in Afghanistan
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U.S. Backs Afghan Man Who Converted to Christianity
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Christian Convert in Afghanistan Could be Unfit to Stand Trial


WASHINGTON — Concerned about the fate of a Christian convert in Afghanistan on trial for his life, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday seeking a "favorable resolution" of the case.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack reported that Rice underlined to Karzai the "fact that the United States stands forthrightly for principles of freedom of worship, freedom of expression, and that these are bedrock principles of democracy around the world, these are principles that are enshrined in the Afghan constitution and they're principles that are enshrined in the U.N. Universal Declaration on Human Rights," he said.

"We're looking for a favorable resolution at the earliest possible time," McCormack added.

Abdul Rahman, 41, a medical aid worker, converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago, a fact that came out publicly during a civil custody case between him and his wife in front of local authorities. The authorities charged him with rejecting Islam, a crime under the country's Shar'ia-based law.

The penalty, if guilty, is death.

On Wednesday, President Bush said he was troubled by the possible decapitation.

"I'm troubled when I hear, deeply troubled when I hear, the fact that a person who converted away from Islam may be held to account. That's not the universal application of the values that I talked about.

I look forward to working with the government of that country to make sure that people are protected in their capacity to worship," Bush said.