Afghan Christian's Trial Is a Trial for Islam Too

March 24, 2006 -- -- Whether diplomats and politicians find a solution that will spare the life of Abdel Rahman, an Afghan man who could possibly face the death penalty for his Christian faith, the perception of Islam in the West may have already taken a hard hit.

Rahman, 41, converted to Christianity 16 years ago. Under Islamic law, apostasy -- the abandonment of Islam -- is a crime that can carry a death sentence. There were unconfirmed reports today that the Afghan government may spare Rahman, but the controversy has already become an international crisis.

Conservative Muslims in Afghanistan see Rahman's conversion as an act of treason against Islam and its communal identity. For Americans and others in countries that have spent money and precious lives to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, Rahman's trial is itself a betrayal not of religious values but of the values of human rights.

President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have said they are deeply distressed that Rahman is being put on trial for his faith. World leaders from Australia to Canada have reacted similarly, making their own appeals for Rahman's release.

That sentiment is shared by many Westerners with roots in the Middle East, like Egyptian-American Michael Meunier.

Meunier, who is a Coptic Christian, believes it's a "disheartening fact" that the Islamic world takes the billions of dollars of Western aid but does not accept human rights and religious freedom.

Jeff King, president of the human rights and Christian advocacy organization International Christian Concern, expresses a similar sentiment. "When we have a hand in forming a country that we paid for in blood and paid for in dollars, then we have the right to speak up," King says.

"If they're going to form a version of 'Taliban light,' then we need to reconsider that we're propping these countries up."

The trial of Abdel Rahman may also affect American opinions of Islam and the Muslim world in general. "It's not any different from the unfortunate incidents we've seen --