What the hell are we fighting for?

Right now there are American soldiers in Afghanistan. You remember Afghanistan, right? We (the United States) invaded them before moving on to Iraq. The reason, we were told, for invading liberating Afghanistan was to overthrow the Taliban and bring peace to the region. American soldiers remain in the country still, fighting and dying, to "bring peace and stability and prevent the Taliban from rising to power again". Hip hip horrah! Mission accomplished, right?

Well, the Taliban definately aren't back. However, the government that has replaced them is no less horrific. American troops are currently protecting a theocracy that openly advocates the execution of 'infidels'

An Afghan man is being tried in a court in the capital, Kabul, for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Abdul Rahman is charged with rejecting Islam and could face the death sentence under Sharia law unless he recants.

Want to know what the definition of "tolerance" is under Sharia law?

Trial judge Ansarullah Mawlazezadah told the BBC that Mr Rahman, 41, would be asked to reconsider his conversion, which he made while working for a Christian aid group in Pakistan.

"We will invite him again because the religion of Islam is one of tolerance. We will ask him if he has changed his mind. If so we will forgive him," the judge told the BBC on Monday.

From another article on the story

"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam."

and

The prosecutor, Abdul Wasi, said he had offered to drop the charges if Mr Rahman converted back to Islam, but he refused. "He would have been forgiven if he changed back. But he said he was a Christian and would always remain one," Mr Wasi said. "We are Muslims and becoming a Christian is against our laws. He must get the death penalty."

Yes, Islam is a tolerant religion; you have the choice to convert or die. How merciful they must be! Praise be to Allah!

We liberated Afghanistan from a group of backwards, intolerant, ignorant, hateful, religious fanatics. Now it appears that they have simply been replaced by more of the same. Granted not all Muslims hold these views, but even if most don't strictly adhere to them they at least condone them. Despite what the Bush administration and company would like to believe, Afghanistan is far, far from anywhere near becoming a peaceful, secular, tolerant model of Democracy.

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