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Christian Groups Ask Bush to Defend Religious Freedom
Earlier this week I posted on Abdul Rahman, a man in Afghanistan who may be sentenced to death for practicing Christianity. Now Christian groups in the United States—the same ones that once applauded when the U.S. ousted the Taliban—are incensed that the President isn’t doing more to protect Rahman’s freedom of religion.
In a letter to President Bush, Tony Perkins head of the ultraconservative Family Research Council declared:
Democracy is more than purple thumbs. Americans will not give their blood and treasure to prop up new Islamic fundamentalist regimes. Religious freedom is not just 'an important element' of democracy; it is its cornerstone. Religious persecution leads inevitably to political tyranny. Five hundred years of history confirm this. Americans have not given their lives so that Christians can be put to death.Bush has yet to put serious pressure on the Afghan government, but acknowledged that he is "deeply troubled." The Afghan constitution, written in 2004, is very ambiguous about religious freedom, declaring the country to be an Islamic state while also claiming to protect human rights. Now as these contradictions are rising to the surface on an international stage. Ironically, in 2004 the New York Times called Afghanistan’s new constitution "one of the most enlightened constitutions in the Islamic world," embracing its ability to balance "the goal of an Islamic state with the promise to abide by the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
Earlier this month on his trip to Afghanistan, Bush painted a picture of life before Operation Enduring Freedom:
Under the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, there is no religious freedom. You have no chance to express yourself in the public square without being punished. There is no capacity to realize your full potential. And so we're committed. We're committed to universal values. We believe -- we believe everybody desires to be free. And we know that history has taught us that free societies yield the peace. And that's what we want. We want peace for our children, and we want peace for the Afghan children, as well.
Are we currently looking at a better existence for Afghanistan? Abdul Rahman is sitting in a cell preparing to be a martyr for religious freedom and America is left wondering why so many lives were lost to topple the Taliban. Clearly freedom in Afghanistan has not endured.
Posted by on 03/24/06 at 2:48 PM | E-mail | Print | Digg this | de.licio.us
Comments
This looks like a double-edged sword that Republicans have created in appealing to American Christian Fundamentalists. The faithful are looking for their deliverance from Earthly difficulty. Bush, in his rhetoric, has proclaimed himself Deliverer, perhaps not overtly, but Bush doesn't do or say anything overt, as we are sick and tired of learning now. Now that he's been "re-elected" significantly with their help, he's being called on to toe the line in his center of the Universe. It would be comic if there weren't so much death. The cynical among us may note that it's comical exactly because this adminstration's new base is the antithesis of it's own actions. But it's more complicated, yes?
So it looks like the fundies got duped, and listening to the newsmedia chatter on about Bush trying, inanely, to "balance" his public oratory to include his new base's concerns is like watching a high school debate where at least one participant is in way over his head. It's embarrassing to everyone, only in this case it is the President of the United States. Such is our reality under the leadership of the liar-king-demigod.
Posted by: greenarch1 on 03/27/06 at 8:32 AM
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In Backwards Bush World We Install Democracy with Troops.
We 'Free' a country with weapons that Shock and Awe.
I suppose next we will attack Russia so the mongoloid Khazar Jews can have a home their as Well.
Say Let's attack the Chinese Muslims and make them Khazar Christian Jews as well. Hell Lets Just make George KING of the World and we will Just KILL anyone that doesn't agree with the KINGS 'Religion'
Posted by: Hamster Brain on 03/25/06 at 5:08 PM