Abdul Rahman (convert) facts for kids

Abdul Rahman (Dari: عبدالرحمن; born 1965) is an Afghan man whose arrest and trial in February 2006 caused a lot of discussion around the world. Abdul Rahman was arrested by authorities in Afghanistan for changing his religion, which is called apostasy. He faced the death penalty, the most severe punishment.

He had changed his religion to Christianity from Islam while helping Afghan refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan. Many countries and groups spoke out against his arrest. On March 26, 2006, because of strong pressure from other governments, the Afghan court sent his case back to the prosecutors. Abdul Rahman was then released from prison and went to stay with his family. On March 29, he arrived in Italy after the Italian government offered him a safe place to live.

This case became very famous, especially in Western countries. The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom strongly criticized Afghanistan. These two countries were the biggest helpers to Afghanistan at that time. The way the Afghan government handled the case made people question its fairness.

Early Life and Religious Change

Abdul Rahman was born in 1965. In 1990, he was working with a Catholic aid group that helped Afghan refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan. During this time, he learned about Christianity and decided to become a Christian. He was then baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. After changing his religion, he took the name Joel.

In 1993, he moved to Germany. Later, he tried to get asylum (protection) in Belgium but was not successful. He was then sent back to Afghanistan in 2002, after the Taliban government was no longer in power.

Abdul Rahman's wife divorced him because he became a Catholic. They had a disagreement over who would care for their two daughters. The daughters had been living with Abdul Rahman's parents while he was away. His wife's family used his change of religion as a reason to say he should not have custody of the children.

When he returned to Afghanistan, his parents also did not accept him because of his new religion. They felt he was trying to change their family's beliefs. His daughters also said they were afraid of him and that he did not act like a father.

Arrest and Court Case

In February 2006, members of Abdul Rahman's family told the police about him. He was arrested after police found that he had a Bible. After his arrest, he could not find a lawyer in Kabul who was willing to represent him. Authorities also stopped news agencies from seeing him.

In Afghanistan, there is a law that allows people to be charged for changing their religion. Prosecutors asked for the death penalty for Abdul Rahman. They said he should be removed from Muslim society and killed. The Afghan attorney general also said that Abdul Rahman should be executed.

Abdul Rahman's court case started on March 16. It became widely known around the world on March 19. Three judges oversaw the case. The chief judge, Ansarullah Mawlawizadah, said that Abdul Rahman would be asked to think again about his conversion. He said that Islam is a religion of tolerance and that they would forgive him if he changed his mind.

The judge also said that if Abdul Rahman did not change his mind, he would face punishment. Even though he might be sentenced to death, Abdul Rahman remained firm in his beliefs. He said, "They want to sentence me to death and I accept it... I am a Christian, which means I believe in the Trinity... I believe in Jesus Christ."

Efforts by Afghan Christians

While Abdul Rahman was on trial, some Afghan Christians tried to bring attention to the difficulties faced by Christians in Afghanistan, especially Abdul Rahman. They wanted the world to know what was happening.

Checking Mental Health

On March 22, the Afghan Embassy in Washington, D.C. announced that the country's legal system was checking Abdul Rahman's mental health. A religious advisor to President Hamid Karzai confirmed that Abdul Rahman would have a psychological examination. The judge said that since Rahman refused to change his mind, his mental state was being checked. If he was found to be mentally unwell, the case might be dismissed.

A prosecutor said that Abdul Rahman might be mentally unwell and not a normal person. He said that if doctors found him mentally unfit, Islam would not require him to be punished, and the case should be dropped. Other sources also suggested he might be mentally unbalanced.

However, another prosecutor doubted these claims. He said that Abdul Rahman told him he was fine and could answer questions. Diplomats said that the Afghan government was looking for a way to drop the case by saying Abdul Rahman was mentally unfit to stand trial.

The court also questioned Abdul Rahman's nationality. He had lived in Germany, Greece, and Belgium. If he had gained dual nationality (citizenship in two countries), it could change his case.

Some critics said that declaring him mentally unwell would not fix the problem in Afghanistan's law. They felt it was just a way for the government to avoid a difficult situation.

Release from Prison

On March 24, 2006, Afghan authorities said they were thinking about releasing Abdul Rahman soon. A special government meeting was held the next day. President Hamid Karzai met with several ministers to find a way to free him without upsetting powerful conservative Muslim clerics who wanted Abdul Rahman to be executed. After this meeting, a government official said there was a "strong possibility" he would be freed. However, the prosecutor denied these claims. Later, the judge stated that the case was sent back to the prosecutor's office due to "technical and legal flaws."

Some clerics questioned President Karzai's power to order Abdul Rahman's release. A member of the Supreme Court warned against interfering with the courts. He said that the Qur'an and the prophet's words were clear, and the only outcome should be death. He also warned that if Karzai released him, it could cause an uprising.

On March 28, 2006, it was reported that Abdul Rahman had been released. This news came after the United Nations said he had asked for asylum outside Afghanistan. On March 29, Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi announced that Italy had approved Abdul Rahman's request for asylum, and he had already arrived in Italy.

International Reactions

Many Western countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) said that his trial was a violation of human rights. They asked for the Afghan convert to be released.

•  Australia: Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Abdul Rahman's case was "terrible." He said the idea of someone being punished or executed for their religious belief was "beyond belief."
•  Canada: The Canadian government was worried. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Hamid Karzai to share their concern. He said Karzai told him not to worry about the outcome.
•  European Union: Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, speaking for the European Union, said they would do everything to protect Abdul Rahman's rights and save his life.
•  Germany: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Karzai had promised her Abdul Rahman would not be sentenced to death.
•  United Kingdom: The Church Society in England condemned the trial. They asked all Christians to speak out against the injustice and prevent Abdul Rahman's death. They also asked the British government to use its influence in Afghanistan.
• Amnesty International asked for Abdul Rahman's release. They said he might be a "prisoner of conscience" (someone imprisoned for their beliefs). They said the charges against him should be dropped.
•  United States: On March 22, 2006, Congressman Tom Lantos wrote a letter to Hamid Karzai. He said it was shocking that someone could face the death penalty for changing their religion in a country where soldiers of different faiths were dying to protect the government. President George W. Bush also spoke out, saying it was "deeply troubling" that a country they helped free would punish someone for their religious choice. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the arrest "clearly violates the universal freedoms that democracies around the world hold dear."

* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice directly asked President Hamid Karzai for a "favorable resolution." * The U.S. Islamic advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations also called for Abdul Rahman's immediate release. * The Seventh-day Adventist Church asked for Abdul Rahman to be released and allowed to practice his religion freely. * The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote to President Bush. They said that Afghanistan's constitution did not fully protect religious freedom. This could lead to unfair accusations of changing religion or speaking against it.

•  Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI asked the president of Afghanistan to pardon Abdul Rahman. He asked for respect for human rights, which are mentioned in Afghanistan's constitution.

Threats to Stop Aid to Afghanistan

Germany, which was helping Afghanistan with security and police training, suggested that Afghanistan could lose aid or support for rebuilding efforts. This depended on what happened in Abdul Rahman's case. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said that Afghanistan must understand that protecting human rights includes religious freedom. He added that Germany contributes a lot to Afghanistan's stability, so they insist on religious freedom.

In response, Afghan Economy Minister Amin Farhang said that the government in Kabul could not stop donor countries from holding back aid. However, he felt that such actions would hurt Western countries more than Afghanistan. Farhang said that Western politicians reacted too emotionally and that threatening to withdraw aid was like blackmail. He also said that Afghanistan is trying to build democracy after the Taliban, but that allowing people to change from Islam to Christianity is too extreme for a traditional Islamic society. He stated that Afghanistan cannot change from one extreme to another suddenly.

See Also

In Spanish: Abdul Rahman para niños

• Kamilia Shehata
• Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
• Islam and other religions
• Persecution of Christians
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights