The best option to save life... Is to be judged mad.

[Ummon]

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan man facing a possible death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity may be mentally unfit to stand trial, a state prosecutor said Wednesday amid growing international condemnation of the case.

Abdul Rahman, 41, has been charged with rejecting Islam, a crime under this country's Islamic laws. His trial started last week and he confessed to becoming a Christian 16 years ago. If convicted, he could be executed.

"We think he could be mad. He is not a normal person. He doesn't talk like a normal person," prosecutor Sarinwal Zamari told The Associated Press.

Moayuddin Baluch, a religious adviser to President Hamid Karzai, said Rahman would undergo a psychological examination.

"If he is mentally unfit, definitely Islam has no claim to punish him," he said. "He must be forgiven. The case must be dropped."

(...)

Rest here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060322/...istian_convert

[Ó Cathasaigh]

If he's realy mad, then good.

If he's not, he realy shouldn't pretend to be, while in common since it's a good way to get out of a sticky situation, the teachings of Christianity tell you to not fear death and persecution because of your faith, for your faith will lead you to heaven. It's sort of like trading your life for your soul here.

[Son of the Empire]

This happens all the time in Norway. People killing their whole families or innocent people at the street, and afterwards declear themselves mad. The judges let them go free if they go to therapy, and after about half a year their out. Acctually, I can't remember the last time a murderer was convicted a real sentence. It's kinnda wicked!

And if that's not sick enough, we got a case this summer. Where a known public shrink was caught faking his analysis on all his criminal patients! He got some money under the table and decleared the convicted mad or uncontrolled. He had done that to about 50 criminals, and they had all gone free! The shrink got a bill on about 1 million, which he paid easily. And he is now on large!!
You got to love the legal system in Norway!!

[Ummon]

May I suggest, that he is being declared mad because this is the only way that he is going to be spared a death sentence for apostasizing Islam in favour of Christianism? :wink:

[Mr.Flint]

In a sense he is mad
what sane person would have converted from Islam, in a country where 99% of the population is muslim, and have been just recently ruled by medieval fundies.

[Bwaho]

This happens all the time in Norway. People killing their whole families or innocent people at the street, and afterwards declear themselves mad. The judges let them go free if they go to therapy, and after about half a year their out

yeah same thing in Sweden...but if they're extra lucky they get a nice apartment in the middle of the city too. Afterall they're just misunderstood geniuses...and some of them write childrens books

It's interesting how every criminal today is mad...maybe it's some kind of virus that is floating around in the air?

[Son of the Empire]

It's interesting how every criminal today is mad...maybe it's some kind of virus that is floating around in the air?

English Only on this forum, non-english tongues are restricted to the barbara taverna

[Ummon]

In a sense he is mad
what sane person would have converted from Islam, in a country where 99% of the population is muslim, and have been just recently ruled by medieval fundies.

More so, he went back to Afghanistan to vote, from England. Don't you feel responsible for this guy? I mean, we told him that we were establishing a democracy in his country...

[Perikles]

Why can this man be persecuted for his faith anyway, especially in a country we liberated and turned into a democracy just 5 years ago....
If I was going to be killed for my faith I would start gibbering like a mad man too...

[Richard the Lionheart]

Wasn't Afghanistan supposed to be a democracy now? What happened?

[The Alcotroll]

What happened?

We learned a valuable lesson in human nature, is what happened. If you're going to give the people what they want, you'd better be damn sure that they want the same thing as you.

[internationalist]

Wasn't Afghanistan supposed to be a democracy now? What happened?

In a country where 99% of the country is muslim, even a democratic government would have to be hard on non-muslims. But...I dont think they really are

[Erik]

Wasn't Afghanistan supposed to be a democracy now? What happened?

Yes, and apparently this is what the people of Afghanistan want.

Just because they turn democratic doesn't mean they wil take over Western values.

[Ummon]

Yes, and apparently this is what the people of Afghanistan want.

Just because they turn democratic doesn't mean they wil take over Western values.

Theorically, democracy includes freedom of worship.

[Spiff]

yeah same thing in Sweden...but if they're extra lucky they get a nice apartment in the middle of the city too. Afterall they're just misunderstood geniuses...and some of them write childrens books

It's interesting how every criminal today is mad...maybe it's some kind of virus that is floating around in the air?

Surely in Norway and Sweden you cant just declare yourself insane? Here its a very special defence, subject to fairly strict testing from trained psychologists.. of course insane isnt a medical term, simply a legal label.. but still

[Mangalore]

Theorically, democracy includes freedom of worship.

Democracy is a political system based on the people. Theoretically it only includes as common basis that people vote/approve their government in free, secret and equal elections, otherwise a democracy completely adheres to the rules of the society it is build around. If the people don't want freedom of worship, it won't be part of their system. A different morale code underlining the democratic system is also present in all western countries. Certain things common (like death penalty, immigration, citizen rights) in one democratic country, might be interpreted entirely differnt in another.

The western freedoms are part of western morale and thus not necessarily compatible with the social values of other countries, like in this case Afghanistan. They are used as the foundation on which western democracies are built on, that doesn't mean democracy only works with this morale code though.

Just because we don't like what they are voting for we cannot dennounce it as undemocratic. Intolerant and backwards is more fitting.

[Major.Stupidity]

Wasn't Afghanistan supposed to be a democracy now? What happened?

What happened is that the US invaded Iraq, diverting needed funds that could have gone to Afghanistan and re - build it, but instead we have an increasing insurgency in Afghanistan complete with suicide bombers and IED's and a pseudo- democracy...But wait, the media doesn't cover Afghanistan....

[Ummon]

No of course, killing him is being lenient.

[Gogoas]

No of course, killing him is being lenient.

hey at least they not castracting him

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

What's ironic is that when someone in the West converts to Islam (or even Buddhism for that matter), no one really makes an issue out of it but when it happened in Afghanistan, these 'democratic' people tried to kill him. Don't Afghanis have bigger problems like rebuilding their country? Their obsession with religion has brought enough death already.