In Human Events this morning I discuss the latest apostasy trial in Afghanistan, and its implications:
Afghan Interior Ministry intelligence authorities have arrested an Afghan citizen, Said Musa, for apostasy - converting from Islam to Christianity, in yet another case that raises serious questions about what the U.S. is hoping to accomplish in Afghanistan, and how likely it is to be accomplished.This has happened before. In 2006, an Afghan named Abdul Rahman made international news for being arrested and facing the death penalty in Afghanistan for converting from Islam to Christianity. Rahman was ultimately spirited away to live in freedom, albeit in hiding, in Italy. But the questions his case raised about the Karzai regime and the nature of the "freedom" that the U.S. was bringing to Afghanistan were never answered, and have reappeared with the Said Musa case.
Qamaruddin Shenwari, director of the Kabul courts' north zone, explained that Islamic law - which mandates a death penalty for apostates from Islam - would be a determining factor in Musa's case: "According to Afghanistan's constitution, if there is no clear verdict as to whether an act is criminal or not in the penal code of the Afghan Constitution, then it would be referred to sharia law where the judge has an open hand in reaching a verdict."
Indeed, the Afghan Constitution stipulates that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam." It declares that "the religion of the state of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the sacred religion of Islam," and that "followers of other religions are free to exercise their faith and perform their religious rites within the limits of the provisions of law." And the "beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam" forbid Muslims to leave that religion, on pain of death. The Islamic death penalty for apostasy is as old as the Muslim Prophet Muhammad's command that if a Muslim "discards his religion, kill him."...
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/#atop
Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Obama ... anyone .... the mainstream media is not talking about this .... we are what we create. Today Afghanistan ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8E_zMLCRNg
Indeed, the Afghan Constitution stipulates that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam." It declares that "the religion of the state of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the sacred religion of Islam,"
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With our blood and that of our allies, a sharia state has been fully funded. Karzai has always been an imposter and our State Dept., under Bush 41, Clinton, GWB, and now Obama, has been populated by traitors and idiots.
The only exception to above being John Bolton.
Musa is obviously guilty...The only question is punishment...
Rasool Obama himself was once, maybe still is, a Mahoundian...He is one by birth, because of his father...he went to Mahoundian schools as a boy and is listed as Mahoundian on various records...
Now he professes to be a Christian...Is he an apostate? Or does he have a loop hole for this also?
Qamaruddin Shenwari, director of the Kabul courts' north zone, explained that Islamic law - which mandates a death penalty for apostates from Islam - would be a determining factor in Musa's case:
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Islamic law—Shari'ah—is not "a determining factor in Musa's case"—it is *the only factor in the case*.
Without Shari'ah, it would not be a crime to leave Islam, and Said Musa wouldn't be facing this kangaroo court to begin with.
The continued effort to shine the light of truth on what is happening in Afghanistan is very much appreciated. This case clearly demonstrates the seismic fault line that prevents us from moving towards perception that the "foundation of World Peace is the Unity of Religion". "Dialog" in this regard appears challenging, but it would seem there is a place to keep asking questions about what kind of a World do we all want to live in and how do we get there.
In comparison to "standard Sharia" Muhammad's "Constitution of Medina" looks far closer to today's realities. One wonders if it could be a starting point of discussion with other Muslims on the Planet? I doubt if people will give up a belief system unless they can see something better to move towards.
Shalom
Au contraire, a realistic foundation of world peace would be acheived with the eradication of world Islam. And people will give up a belief system whenever they want to, but they won't when they face being murdered by the authorities of their faith if they do.
Greetings Bhobby, While I can understand your logic in calling for the "eradication of Islam" I was wondering what transformational path do you propose for the planet? Such a path defines our course of action and the potential outcomes?
- Total War as we did with the Nazis, the Japanese and Southern Slaveholders, including the fire bombing of cities as we did with Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden, Berlin, Tokyo, Atlanta, etc.? The goal being such a crushing defeat that people give up their ideologies as happened in World War II? (A very stark reality and plan.)
- Walling off all of the Muslim world as if to make it a reservation of sorts like we did with the Native Americans?
- Creating a global secular society where everyone can seek out their own spiritual path for themselves. Europe developed this approach after how many centuries of devastating religious conflict?
- Stepping back and patiently building up the strength of our own culture and make it a powerful magnet of attraction? This is how we prevailed in the "Cold War". People gave up on systems that did not work.
- Using the techniques of Jefferson and Madison, accelerate the effort to seek out new and better ways to define the way the world can work together and invite people to such new paths. The power of their intellectual process prevailed among the framers of the American Democracy.
- "Overcoming a thought of war with a more powerful thought of peace"? We keep inviting the Muslim World to consider new possibilities. To the degree that we can connect with peaceful trends in their tradition, the Truce of Hudaybiyya and the letters of the Caliph Ali, we will be more successful?
- Hoping for (seeking out) a new Messenger of God who with great spiritual power and authority can state "the law of holy war has now been blotted out from the Book of God", and back that up by the power of His life's example?
Some would say the ends justify the means.
Others would say that the means create the ends. The history of Russia tragically outlines the perpetuation of an intolerable condition because of the means that were used?
We are not yet under attack in the same proportions as we were by Germany and Japan. A few bombs on planes does not an air force make. Somali pirates are a nuisance but not capable of attacking Pearl Harbor? Admittedly vigilance and action are still needed.
So you're telling us we're not good enough. My reply: Jesus Christ. He will win the battle. But the victory will not hinge upon how many people will see it that way. And after Christ has the victory we all can indulge then in spiritual self-improvement and you can feel vindicated.
Truthseeker notes: "We are not yet under attack in the same proportions as we were by Germany and Japan. "
The methods of attacking have changed...we are, in fact, under greater threat than ever before in many different ways, stealth jihad, finance jihad, immigration jihad, violent jihad,intimidation jihad, and many other types of Jihad ...all designed with one goal in place...world domination and subjugation of all who refuse..
Every nation in the world is feeling the threat and violence of the Islamic crusades...and of course, we are not fighting it with the same effort to crush evil as we did with Japan or Germany...and of course, neither Japan nor Germany had fifth columns that have infiltrated the media, the government, the security forces, the schools, the school book publishing, the ports, the terminals ....and neither Japan nor Germany had the availiability of an unlimited number of troops willing to commit everything including suicide to assure victory...
We are under attack and the proportions are greater than in WWII or WWI or any other war...at any time in history. It is time to fight back...
Responding to both Bhobby and Exsgtbrown,
First to Bhobby,
It has been said that the "reality of man is his thought".
Such a life force must continually create and move forward, accelerated by the challenges we face. Clearly we are in a process of acceleration.
There is a great reverence for Christ in the Qur'an as per:
45. Behold! the angels said "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.
46. "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity, and he shall be (of the company) of the righteous."
47. She said: "O my Lord! how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth; when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it 'Be', and it is!
48. "And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel.
(The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 3)
Likewise, certainly the Sunni tradition shares your longing for the return of Christ though you may differ on what Christ's return would look like. The Jews had the same challenge re. whether to recognize Christ as the Messiah 2,000 years ago.
A sign of Christ's coming from the Qur'an is seen in these verses:
9. "Our Lord! Thou art He that will gather mankind together against a day about which there is no doubt: for Allah never fails in His promise."
(The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 3)
12. Say: "To whom belongeth all that is in the heavens and on earth?" Say: "To Allah. He hath inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy that He will gather you together for the Day of Judgment, there is no doubt whatever. It is they who have lost their own souls, that will not believe.
(The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 6)
This really took off with the first telegraphic message May 24th, 1844 when Samuel Morris tapped out "What hath God wrought?" Interestingly this is also the same year many biblical scholars studying the Book of Daniel anticipated the return of Christ. Could there be a greater hand of Divine destiny at work in the World and we may not be seeing it?
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Exsgtbrown,
You seem to be speaking to responding to a demographic challenge akin to that faced by the Native Americans over the past 500 years.
It is true that every ideology seeks to either prevail over or integrate into those ideologies that it confronts. Muslims have been saying the same thing about the invasion of Western Culture for the last 300 years as well. We are trying to instill secular democracy into Afghanistan and are facing a bit of a disconnect from the locals?
One approach could be to see how together we can create a new global culture. The West actually does a good job embodying the tenants of the Constitution of Medina that Muhammmad first proposed after his flight from Mecca.
I do not think that a new Global Civilization will be created by force of arms. I trust the democratic process to prevail over time. While there are very zealous Muslims who wish to instill Shariah there have been major trends away from that path over the last 160 years in Islamic Countries. The fall of the Caliphate with no objection is evidence of the underlying weaknesses that exist. Shariah of the Taliban could not be imposed on Indonesia, Egypt or Turkey, much less Europe or the United States?
The struggle of our times is though significant and I appreciate reflecting on your commentary.
In your original posting you should have announced yourself as being a proud Muhammedan (which now you say you are, I presume) instead of pretending to be a "New Age Mystic". What's with the misdirection? Why spend energy being deceptive? Why don't you come right out and say you hate everyone? I'll answer for you: for the same reason "Allah" presented himself as some sort of Christian deity, when he wasn't.