This is very chilling. If the fundamentalist Christians in the U.S. have their way, they would do the same--try to make their version of Christianity the only permitted religion.

In the U.S. of my youth, religious freedom was greatly valued. It still should be. I firmly believe that my freedom to be a Christian in the U.S. (as I am) is only safe as long as everyone else has the freedom to follow their religion. I am good friends with a Buddhist family, several atheists/agnostics, and Christians of various types. We cannot do much about what is happening elsewhere, but we can certainly do our best to keep America safe for people of all religions, or no religion.

Agreed completely, Hoosierman. Of course this will be used by the right to blend Democrats, who they say dislike Christianity, with the terrorists.

Just a warning.

JP, that is funny, I was just thinking the left was going to use it to show how the US failed in Afghanistan, because you know, we are there to make them live like us, or hadn't you heard?

LOL

It doesn't sound as if much has changed since the Taliban has been ousted, does it?

That's not quite true. Under the Taliban you were unlikely to get a trial. Progress!

Judaism and Islam are Militaristic by the very nature of their prophets being soldiers and conquerors. Why does it surprise anyone that many of their laws are the same?
In time of war, desertion is death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct in the American military and rightly so. Likewise Mr Rahman signed up for a tour of duty and he should have read the fine print. Right or wrong, it’s the law of that land and I am pretty sure Mr Rahman knew this. I hope this poor guy wasn't coerced by Christian fundamentalists as a test case.

Dear Joseph Taylor,

I read your comment in disbelief and felt I had to comment on it. The man was born into Islam. He did not have a choice. He did not "sign up" for a tour of duty, he was "forced" into it, to use your terms.
And why cannot a Muslim be impressed with the New Testament and embrace it? Why has it to be coercion? What if he had chosen to become a Buddhist or an atheist? The "fine print" does not allow that either.
For your information, he did not speak about his conversion himself (he was too scared knowing the "fine print"). He was denounced by his relatives during a case of child custody as a way to delegitimate him.

Regards

Alex

Funny how this got turned into a Christian bashing thread. Typical, totally overlooking the barbaric 7th century practice of killing one because of his religious preference. And you people call Christians Nazis.