Rahman Thanks the Pope

AP: Afghan Convert Thanks Pope for Intervening---

ROME - An Afghan who faced the death penalty in his homeland for converting from Islam to Christianity said Thursday he was certain he would have been killed had he stayed there, and he thanked Pope Benedict XVI for intervening on his behalf.

"In Kabul, they would have killed me, I'm sure of it," said Abdul Rahman, who was spirited out of Afghanistan to a secret location in Italy. "If you are not a Muslim in an Islamic country like mine, they kill you. There are no doubts."

He said his case was to serve as an example "to others who dared rebel."

Rahman's comments, in a short interview to Italian journalists, came hours after Italy formally granted him asylum, citing religious persecution, the ministry said.
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Benedict wrote to Karzai on March 22 that dropping the case "would bestow great honor upon the Afghan people and would raise a chorus of admiration in the international community."

Since his arrival in Italy, the Vatican has made no comment. There was no indication of any plan to arrange a meeting between Rahman and the pope.

"Thanks to the (Italian) government. And thanks to Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff took an interest in my case, and thanks to him, the U.N. intervened," Rahman told reporters.

My previous posts on Abdul Rahman can be found here.

Thank God he was given asylum by Italy. We must pray for his protection.

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