In 2004 the United States helped to set up a Islamic theocracy in Afghanistan. Despite the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s warning the proposed Afghani constitution threatened to institutionalize “Taliban-lite”, the document earned the praise of President Bush, the U.N., and the American media.
At the time, Paul Marshall was one of the few voices to express concern about this threat to religious liberty. Marshall recently spoke out again in National Review about one of the outcomes of our decision to ensure that religious freedom was denied to Afghanis:
Any and every human being who is imprisoned, abused, or tortured for the free and peaceful expression of their faith deserves our support, but Musa is also a remarkable person and Christian. In a letter smuggled to the West, he says, “The authority and prisoners in jail did many bad behaviour with me about my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, they did sexual things with me, beat me by wood, by hands, by legs, put some things on my head.”
He added a thing much more important to him, that they “mocked me ‘he’s Jesus Christ,’ spat on me, nobody let me for sleep night and day. . . . Please, please, for the sake of Lord Jesus Christ help me.” (View the full letter here)
February 21st, 2011 | 12:44 pm
I read the letter. It is heartbreaking. It made me pray, and then ask God for forgiveness for being so weak.
February 21st, 2011 | 3:33 pm
Democracy is hard to build. It takes generations of learned habits of mind. Things like: If we have a vote, and your side loses, you go along with the majority opinion. “Free” means not only am I free to do what I want, but I’ll accept that you will do what you want, even if I think what you do is evil. And the quickly dissolving everywhere idea, I will control and provide for myself and not ask the government to control and provide for me.
If we consider, even briefly, what kind of experience Islamic societies have had since their origin, we find nothing that would have mentored their people in the ways of self government.
We tried to create a democracy in Afghanistan. Today, a man (Said Musa) awaits execution there for the crime of converting to Christianity. That’s what our men have fought and died for, (not intent, but, alas, in result) a Islamic theocracy. Right now, my taxes are supporting a regime that kills Christians. How did things get this evil and crazy? And there’s no end in sight. The Church has no friends, no party, no government. The Church as no friends in this world.
February 22nd, 2011 | 7:53 am
Being able to see esp. all Christians as belonging to The Body of Christ and in the context of His words – ‘what you did to the least of these, you did it to Me ‘ – in an abortion plagued world , not easy perspectives for many !
Islam that denies the Passion and suffering of our Lord and His Mother may not be able to realise that sufferings, united to that of our Lord and His Mother bring us closer to them and draw down graces of convesrion of hearts from the grip of evil ; Pope John Paul II demonstrated same with his suffering life , and now , with the miraculous powers granted him from heaven , posssibly a great intercessor for those in the grip of fear and hatred against Christians !
Let us hope too that one day soon we would have armies of young Christains in all these lands , to perfect what is imperfect in the understanding of God’s will – that The Father who is love does not want the effect of the enemy and its hatred to rule hearts , that He has shown in The Son , that in the loving Presence of His Spirit , sufferings drive away and defeat the enemy , to allow the children , to rise up again , in the splendor of mercy and forgiveness !
Even technological leaps might be an area of hope – instead of humans , drones and such coming to rescue and disbandment , computers allowing many to see The Father , in the way He has chosen to reveal Himself inThe Son and whetting the yearning in hearts to see The Father !
Let us offer up our own thoughts , words and deeds , through our pure Mother, in union with the offering up of our Lord , in the eternal and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass , for conversion of sinners who are under the influence of the liar !
February 25th, 2011 | 9:01 am
[...] Aghan Christian convert I mentioned early this week has been released from prison: International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned [...]
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