Abdul Rahman Update: Afghan Christian Reportedly Freed

From Cybercast News Service:

CNSNews.com) - Afghan Christian convert Abdul Rahman, who faced the possibility of execution for refusing to return to Islam, reportedly has been freed from custody following strong pressure from Western governments.

"I can confirm that he was released," wire services quoted Afghan justice minister Sarwar Danish as saying Tuesday. "He is not in detention."

His whereabouts are not known.

On Monday, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that it was trying to help Rahman with an application for political asylum. "We expect this will be provided by one of the countries interested in a peaceful solution to this case," spokesman Adrian Edwards said in a statement.

Prosecutors and hard-line clerics have called for Rahman's death. On Sunday, hundreds of Afghans marched in a northern city demanding that Rahman be tried in line with Islamic law (shari'a), which requires the death penalty for apostasy.

The case sparked an outcry, led by governments that have sent troops in Afghanistan to help rebuild the country and secure President Hamid Karzai's government against remnants of the extremist Taliban militia toppled in a U.S.-led military campaign in 2001.

"I hope that the strength of international reaction has sent a very clear signal [to Kabul]," Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Tuesday.

"As far as I am concerned it would just be quite unacceptable to the Australian people or Australian soldiers to be having their lives on the line to defend, in any way, a practice that involved people being persecuted because of their religious belief," he told a joint press conference in Canberra with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Blair said countries that believe in religious freedom should work "to empower those moderate and modernizing forces within the world of Islam and the Arab and Muslim world and say, 'Look, we want to create a situation in which there are those freedoms for everybody to enjoy.' "

Previous Pro Ecclesia Posts on this Subject:
Pope Appeals for Afghan Convert's Life

Abdul Rahman Update: Case Dropped Against Afghan Christian

Abdul Rahman Update

Abdul Rahman Case Puts U.S. "Theocracy" Nonsense into Perspective

President Bush Weighs in on Abdul Rahman

Who Will Save Abdul Rahman?

Apostasy Case Raises Questions About "Islamic" Constitutions in Afghanistan and Iraq

Afghan Man Faces Death for Allegedly Converting to Christianity

Did 2000 American Soldiers Die For Islam?