The Afghan government has dismissed the case, for converting to Christianity, against Abdul Rahman. He is no longer living in Afghanistan and is free to practice his religion. However, the Afghanistan constitution has not changed. It is still illegal to convert to Christianity. The world spoke up and saved Abdul Rahman. But the world has sat silently by while daily human rights are violated in Afghanistan. Where was the outcry when the poet, Nadia Anjuman was beaten to death by her husband; when 29 year old, Amina, of Badakhshan province, was convicted and stoned to death based on her husbands accusations of adultery; when the Women’s affairs minister was forced to resign her post after being charged with blasphemy for criticizing Sharia law. Why has Abdul Rahman been saved, while the world sit silently by and lets others die daily?

Article 26 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights lists education as a universal human right. The United Nations reports that in southern Afghanistan, 300 girls schools were burned down in 2005. Only half of the primary school aged girls attend school. One fourth of school-aged children are employed in some form of labor. One third of women in Afghanistan are married by the age of 18. Many in forced marriages that are permitted under extreme interpretations of Sharia law. Violence against women is on the rise and rarely prosecuted. The chairman of the Afghan constitutional convention, Sibghatullah Mojadidi, told women delegates that “even God has not given you equal rights because under his decision two women are counted equal to one man.” Afghan citizens do not have basic human rights taken for granted in many parts of the world.

The Afghanistan nation is a sovereign nation and entitled to the right of self-determination. However, the inclusion in their constitution that “no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam” allows for the extreme fundamentalists to legalize human rights abuses. Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, fragile government is dependent on US military support. This is the time when we have the greatest influence over the Afghan government; the time when we can apply pressure for them to adopt a bill of rights that embodies the United Nations, universal human rights. The voices that saved Abdul Ramon need to speak up now or in the future no one will be looking the next time the Afghan government wants to execute someone for violating their interpretation of Sharia law.