Thursday, March 23, 2006

Purple Thumbs and Middle Fingers

We saw lots of photos during the Afghan and Iraqi elections of men and women voting - and the purple thumb associated with going to the ballot box.

What we are seeing now, in Afghanistan, is the large middle finger, brazenly and unapologetically offered in the direction of President Bush and his administration.

We all know about Abdul Rahman and his conversion to Christianity, a capital crime in Afghanistan. While the prosecutor put on a show for the Western world ("The man may be mad, and we can't prosecute him if he is out of his mind...), there is no doubt to how things really are over there.

Afghanistan is an Islamic country and its judiciary will act independently and neutrally. No other policy will be accepted apart from Islamic orders and what our constitution says.

The constitution says follow sharia law. Sharia law says to kill Mr. Rahman.

"He is not crazy. He went in front of the media and confessed to being a Christian. The government is scared of the international community. But the people will kill him if he is freed."
- Chief Cleric Hamidullah, Haji Yacob Mosque

Whether or not the Afghan judiciary spares Rahman, today senior Muslim clerics insist he must be executed – and that if the government gives in to international pressure and frees Rahman, the clerics will instruct the people to "pull him into pieces."
- Associated Press

"Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die."
- Muslim Cleric Abdul Raoulf, Afghan Ulama Council (Afghanistan's main Islamic organization)

"The government are playing games. The people will not be fooled. Cut off his head! We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there's nothing left."
- once again, Muslim Cleric Abdul Raoulf


Islamic Law is incompatible with Western thinking. President Bush and his administration either do not understand this, or do not believe it. It is not compatible in Afghanistan, it will not ultimately be compatible in Iraq... at least, not the Western world's idea of democracy.

, , c