Rahman in Rome, but the case is still open

Afghan Christian Abdul Rahman reappeared in Rome today after his 'persecuted but not prosecuted' experience in Kabul. Freedom is certainly a good thing for Mr. Rahman, especially in light of comments of this nature:

Some 500 Afghans, including Muslim leaders and students, also gathered at a mosque in the southern town of Qalat, in Zabul province, to demand the convert be forced to return to Islam or be killed.

"This is a terrible thing and a major shame for Afghanistan," Zabul's top cleric Abdulrahman Jan said.

But his safe flight also brings up a few interesting and disturbing questions that are yet to be solved, not the least of which are the legal ramifications. Who best to comment on legal issues than a country lawyer:

What it is not good for is the notion of the rule of law. As it is said, Fiat justitia (et ruat caelum) "Let justice be done (though the heavens fall)". If Brother Rahman is to be set free (and he should), it should be because what he did is not a crime, not because the Hamid Karzai got a phone call from the President of the United States. The brutish law that condemns Christians remains on the books, a terror set to bar the way to salvation.

Yes, and that nasty little law will surely catch the next poor Abdul who can't generate as much fanfare.

So, what position should the west take on future incidents or the law itself? We know that Islamic countries seemingly hack off appendages for doing, well, just about everything we Americans do. And we know that persecuting Christians is not the only blood sport practiced by some in the seventh century set--here are a few others of note.

It's a good thing that no harm came to Mr. Rahman, but it's bad thing his case didn't change the world. Bush used some of his paltry political capital with Karzai to move the story off the front pages, but he remains as poor as a church mouse with other Islamic nations and he's getting poorer by the minute. Ironically, if there's any hope of change it might be now, with infant governments rising up in two Muslim countries.