CAIR Calls for Release
of Afghan Christian
Washington, DC: A prominent
national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group has called
on the government of Afghanistan to release Abdul Rahman,
a man facing the death penalty for converting from Islam
to Christianity.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) says the man's conversion is a personal matter not
subject to the intervention of the state. SEE: Afghan Christian
Could Face Death
In its statement, CAIR said:
"Islamic scholars say the original rulings on apostasy
were similar to those for treasonous acts in legal systems
worldwide and do not apply to an individual's choice of
religion. Islam advocates both freedom of religion and freedom
of conscience, a position supported by verses in the Qur’an,
Islam's revealed text, such as:
1) 'If it had been the will of your Lord that all the people
of the world should be believers, all the people of the
earth would have believed! Would you then compel mankind
against their will to believe?' (10:99)
2) '(O Prophet) proclaim: 'This is the Truth from your Lord.
Now let him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny
it.'' (18:29)
3) 'If they turn away from thee (O Muhammad) they should
know that We have not sent you to be their keeper. Your
only duty is to convey My message.' (42:48)
4) 'Let there be no compulsion in religion.' (2:256)
"Religious decisions should be matters of personal
choice, not a cause for state intervention. Faith imposed
by force is not true belief, but coercion. Islam has no
need to compel belief in its divine truth. As the Qur’an
states: 'Truth stands out clear from error. Therefore, whoever
rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy
hand-hold that never breaks.' (2:256)
"We urge the government of Afghanistan to order the
immediate release of Mr. Abdul Rahman."
Before issuing its statement, CAIR consulted with members
of the Fiqh Council of North America, an association of
Islamic legal scholars that interprets Muslim religious
law.
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