Christian Convert on Trial for Life

''KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Senior Muslim clerics are demanding that an Afghan man on trial for converting from Islam to Christianity be executed. . . 'Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die,' said cleric Abdul Raoulf, who is considered a moderate and was jailed three times for opposing the Taliban. . .Diplomats have said the Afghan government is searching for a way to drop the case. On Wednesday, authorities said Rahman is suspected of being mentally ill and would undergo psychological examinations to see whether he is fit to stand trial. But three Sunni preachers and a Shiite one interviewed by AP in four of Kabul's most popular mosques said they do not believe Rahman is insane. 'He is not crazy. He went in front of the media and confessed to being a Christian,' said Hamidullah, chief cleric at Haji Yacob Mosque. 'The government is scared of the international community. But the people will kill him if he is freed.' Raoulf, who is a member of the country's main Islamic organization, the Afghan Ulama Council, concurred. 'The government is playing games. The people will not be fooled.' . . .'We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there's nothing left.' He said the only way for Rahman to survive would be for him to go into exile. But Said Mirhossain Nasri, the top cleric at Hossainia Mosque, one of the largest Shiite places of worship in Kabul, said Rahman must not be allowed to leave the country. 'If he is allowed to live in the West, then others will claim to be Christian so they can, too,' he said. 'We must set an example. ... He must be hanged.' The clerics said they were angry with the United States and other countries for pushing for Rahman's freedom. 'We are a small country and we welcome the help the outside world is giving us. But please don't interfere in this issue,' Nasri said. 'We are Muslims and these are our beliefs. This is much more important to us than all the aid the world has given us.'' You can read the full story here.