A Crisis Postponed

By Albert Mohler
Beyond the News

Abdul Rahman is now to be freed from his jail cell in Afghanistan, no longer under threat of an official death sentence for converting to Christianity. The crisis over Mr. Rahman reached a crisis point last week when he went on trial for his conversion, a capital crime under Afghanistan's version of Islamic Sharia law.

The arrest and trial of Mr. Rahman ignited an international controversy, and the political leaders in Afghanistan were seriously embarrassed--and for good reason: Just last year Afghanistan adopted its new constitution--billed as a document that protected basic human freedoms--including freedom of religion. After all, the nation had just been liberated from the Taliban regime by U.S. and allied forces.

The court dropped the charges against Mr. Rahman in order to avoid an international crisis, but the real crisis has only been postponed. Until all nations recognize and honor religious liberty, there will always be the threat of further arrests and future executions.