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Journalist Jailed for Criticizing Islam
Women’s Magazine Editor Convicted of “Blasphemy”

24 October 2005; Kabul, Afghanistan: On Saturday, a women’s magazine editor was sentenced to two years in jail after being convicted of blasphemy by Kabul’s Primary Court for publishing anti-Islamic articles, including one that challenged the belief that Muslims who convert to other religions should be stoned to death..

Ali Mohaqiq Nasab was arrested on October 1 after his magazine Haqooq-i-Zan (translation: Women’s Rights) argued that converting from Islam is not a crime that should be punished by death, as called for under Islamic Shariah law.

Presiding judge Ansarullah Malawizada stated that “the Ulama Council (Afghanistan’s clergy) sent us a letter saying that he should be punished, so I sentenced him to two years in jail.

Other articles identified as blasphemous included the criticism of the harsh punishment of 100 lashes for adultery, and calling for women to be equal to men under Islamic law According to Islamic law, for example, the value of a female witness is only considered to have half the value of a male. Mohaqiq has three weeks to appeal the verdict.

Doesn't sound like a good place to live yet, does it? What business does a priest have, telling a Judge what to do?

I think there is no other religion could be embraced there except Muslim. I don't remember which year it was, but in the past they did destroy a big caved-in-mountain-stone Buddha statue. One of the world heritage is lost forever.

Supposedly, it was taliban who destroyed that statue. I thought that the idea behind getting rid of Taliban was in order to allow a free society. To allow people to choose their own religion. It seems that, once again, we have traded one evil government for another.

danyet wrote:Supposedly, it was taliban who destroyed that statue. I thought that the idea behind getting rid of Taliban was in order to allow a free society. To allow people to choose their own religion. It seems that, once again, we have traded one evil government for another.

Can you explain more please? I don't understand it. :?

I just meant that after the Taliban was destroyed I expected that Afghanistan would have a free and open society with freedom of religion. I guess I was wrong about that because it appears that Afghanistan government and law is still owned by religious zealots.

danyet wrote:I just meant that after the Taliban was destroyed I expected that Afghanistan would have a free and open society with freedom of religion. I guess I was wrong about that because it appears that Afghanistan government and law is still owned by religious zealots.

:? I thought Afghanistan had and always been a Muslim country no matter which group was ruling the government system?!?!!? Same thing like Pakistan. It broke apart with India because of religious belief. India is in favor of Hindu while Pakistan is in favor of Islam.

Sure, the majority of people in Afghanistan have been Muslim for a long time but that doesn't mean that it HAS to be theocratic and authoritarian as were the Taliban overlords, who made things worse than ever.

I would have thought that the new government approved by the U.N. would have been one who protects minorities and encourages freedom of expression. After all isn't the USA boasting of their sucess in Afghanistan?

danyet wrote:Sure, the majority of people in Afghanistan have been Muslim for a long time but that doesn't mean that it HAS to be theocratic and authoritarian as were the Taliban overlords, who made things worse than ever.

I would have thought that the new government approved by the U.N. would have been one who protects minorities and encourages freedom of expression. After all isn't the USA boasting of their sucess in Afghanistan?

To be truthful, in my opinion, if you you wanted other religions to survive there, you would have to kill all the Muslims.