Saturday, 25th March, 2006

Australian troops are fighting in Afghanistan to help a government that is preparing to execute an Afghan citizen who returned home after converting from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago while working for a Christian aid organization in Peshawar, Pakistan. Abdul Rahman, was arrested two weeks ago and hauled before a judge who said: "If he doesn't revert back to Islam, he's going to receive the death penalty, according to the law."

Mr Rahman told the court he had no regrets about becoming a Christian which apparently has Afghan Government ministers searching for a way of not alienating its Western supporters like Australia and the United States while retaining the country's commitment to sharia law. One suggestion is that Mr Rahman be declared mentally incompetent.

As The New York Times said in an editorial, "that would be a cheap trick because the law would remain on the books. ... If Afghanistan wants to return to the Taliban days, it can do so without the help of the United States ."

And, one hopes, Australia.