Making of a Martyr

Suicide bombers have been accounting for most of the additions to the ranks of religious martyrs these days. The willingness to die for one's faith would almost appear to be a monopoly of the fundamentalist Muslim.

But, not so. In newly liberated (by us), protected (by us) and democratic (says us) Afghanistan a man named Abdul Rahman faces court-ordered death by hanging because he converted from Islam to Christianity. So saith the Jersualem Post . And others.

I couldn't find a picture of Mr. Rahman. Apparently, "Abdul Rahman" is a common part of many men's names in the middle east. Yassir Arafat shows up on the search.

President Bush is under fire from his evangelicals for being slow and weak to respond to this threat. So saith the Herald Trib, and others. This is where the spreading democracy business gets a little sticky. The Afghans have democratically adopted Islamic sharia law which provides the death penalty for "apostasy".

The Jerusalem Post piece gives us some measure of the depth of trouble Rahman is in.
"He is not mad. The government is playing games. The people will not be fooled," said Abdul Raoulf, cleric at Herati Mosque. "This is humiliating for Islam. ... Cut off his head." Pretty tough talk and Raoulf is considered a moderate. Jailed thrice for criticizing the Taliban before the "liberation" that got us here. Oh, yes. "Madness" is a possible defense, but neither side likes it.

Another "no win" for President Bush. Either he leans hard enough on Afghan President Hamid Kharzai to get him to override the structurally independent Afghan judiciary, thereby demonstrating that Kharzai is the tool his critics make him out to be, or he lets Rahman go to the gallows to the gross disappointment of his Christian base, already in the throes of serious disaffection with their erstwhile hero. Spin that one, Rove.

And you, Oh Best Beloved, imagine, just for a moment, being willing to die for a belief when just a few words of denial could save you

and Stay Naked.