In Islam, according to the Hadith (a collection of sayings by Muhammad), Muhammad says "Kill whoever changes his religion,". In Sharia law the penalty for leaving Islam, apostasy, is execution for men and life imprisonment for women. International pressure, especially from the West, is bearing down on President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan to prevent Abdul Rahman's execution. From Canada, Australia, and the United States, world leaders everywhere are asking for clemency. Even Pope Benedict XVI has sent a letter asking for Abdul Rahman's pardon written by Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Rumors have been spreading around the blogosphere of a possible release for Abdul Rahman. Hopefully this will come to pass. The plight of Christians everywhere in the Islamic world face severe hardships because of their faith. Let us continue to pray for Abdul Rahman and the many other Christians who are suffering at the hands of Muslims. For an excellent posting on Abdul Rahman, click here. For information concerning Pope Benedict XVI's appeal click here. For previous postings on Abdul Rahman click here and here.

To learn more about apostasy in Islam click here.