Outcry rises over Afghan Christian convert

Reuters | Sayed Salahuddin | Fri Mar 24, 3:41 PM ET

Growing international pressure on Afghanistan to respect the religious freedom of a Christian convert was met in Afghanistan on Friday by calls for the man to be executed for denying Islam.

The controversy over Abdur Rahman, 40, whose trial is due to begin next week, threatens to drive a wedge between Afghanistan and Western countries that are ensuring its security and bankrolling its development.

But President Hamid Karzai cannot ignore conservative proponents of Islamic law or appear to bow too readily to outside pressure.

Read Full Report

Technorati Tags: Afghan, Abdul Rahman, Islam, Bush, Muslim, Cleric, Christian, Christinity, Religion, News and Politics

British commentators poke fun at Chirac’s walkout

AFP | Fri Mar 24, 10:45 PM ET LONDON

British newspapers have poked fun a President Jacques Chirac walking out of the European Union summit over a speech delivered in English by a fellow Frenchman.

Several dailies used sprinklings of French to liven up their editorials but The Times went as far as to write its entire column in a wackily comic French and franglais under the English headline: “Diplomatic Language.”

Read Full Report

Technorati Tags: Chirac, France, News and Politics, British Newspapers