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US Calls For Afghanistan To Release Two Facing Possible Death Penalty For Apostasy

By Howard M. Friedman

The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported that the U.S. government, along with some international Christian organizations, is calling on the government of Afghanistan to release two men who have been arrested on apostasy charges and could face the death penalty. Said Musa, a physical therapist, converted from Islam to Christianity nine years ago. He has worked for 15 years for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Shoaib Assadullah Musawi was arrested in November in northern Afghanistan after giving a copy of the New Testament to a friend who reported him.  A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul says that the U.S. has called on Afghanistan to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and continues frequently to call for release of the men. However the chief of staff of Afghanistan's Justice Ministry says that there are no exceptions to the death penalty for apostasy and that the sentence is needed to serve as a lesson for others.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 28, 2011 (boomark / email).