U.S. House Condemns Afghan Apostasy Laws

Abdul Rahman has been given asylum in Italy (AFP) March 30, 2006 -- The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to condemn the laws in Afghanistan that led to the arrest and threatened execution of an Afghan man who converted from Islam to Christianity.

The House on March 29 voted 427 to 5 to pass a nonbinding resolution that calls the arrest of Abdul Rahman "deplorable and unjust."

The resolution urges the development of greater religious tolerance in Afghanistan, requests that President George W. Bush work with the Afghan government to protect religious minorities, and calls on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to conform to human rights obligations.

The court case against Rahman was dropped following international pressure and he has now left Afghanistan and arrived in Italy, where he is being granted asylum.

(AP)