Abdul Rahman was apparently spirited away to Italy, where he has been granted asylum. From Al-Jazeera:
...An Afghan Christian convert who had faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam has arrived in Italy where he has been offered asylum, the Italian prime minister has said.
"He is already here," Silvio Berlusconi told a news conference in Rome on Wednesday. "He has asked for political asylum and is currently being looked after by the interior ministry."
Earlier in the day, the Italian cabinet unanimously approved the offer of asylum to 41-year-old Abdul Rahman, the prime minister's office said.
"The decision has been made," Roberto Maroni, the welfare minister, said. "The case is resolved."
The move followed an apparent last minute push by members of Afghanistan's parliament demanding that authorities bar the convert from leaving the country.
Shortly before the morning cabinet meeting, Berlusconi said: "I say that we are very glad to be able to welcome someone who has been so courageous." I suppose the Italians did what the Americans could not. Probably for the best, since bringing him here would likely have blown the lid off yet another conflagration with Islam. ...whisking him away to the bosom of the Catholic Church, particularly following the Pope's appeals for his freedom, seems fitting (especially given the Catholic Church's decent relationship with the Muslim world...)
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Tags: Afghanistan, Islam, Religion, Christianity, Bush administration, Abdul Rahman |
