Afghan Faces Death For Christian Conversion

An Afghan who has renounced his Islamic faith for Christianity faces the death penalty under Afghan law in a throwback to the brutal Taliban regime.

Abdul Rahman, 41, is being prosecuted for an "attack on Islam", for which the punishment under Afghanistan's draft constitution, is death by hanging.

President Bush has said, "We're making good progress, we really are, in parts of the world. Afghanistan has now got a constitution which talks about freedom of religion and talks about women's rights."

How hollow those words ring now. Afghanistan may have a constitution that talks about freedom of religion, but words are cheap.

When one looks at realities like this, as opposed to the endless positive spin being applied by the Bushites, one must seriously ask - what are we actually achieving?