Convert and Die
From Dawn.com
Awaiting execution
By Amar Jaleel
Sometimes taking decisions independently is not as easy as it seemsBy the time this story reaches you, Abdul Rahman might be dead. The mode of execution that awaits him is not known to me. He would either be stoned to death, or beheaded, or he would give up his ghost in front of a firing squad with several bullets in his chest. Some of you who are not aware of the plight of Abdul Rahman would naturally like to know the heinousness of the crime he has committed.Abdul Rahman has not murdered anyone. He has not raped and molested women. He had not abducted someone for ransom. He had not planted a bomb at a crowded place for the genocide of the innocent people. In the opinion of the prosecutors, the crime Abdul Rahman has committed is more repulsive than the crime against humanity. Blowing up of a school van with kids in it is not as horrid a crime as the one he has committed. Born in a Muslim family, Abdul Rahman has adopted a new faith that is different from the faith of his family and his forefathers. He has embraced Christianity.Interestingly, the Government of the Indian State of Rajasthan last week clamped ban on the religious conversions. The State claims that religious conversions weaken the communal harmony. The low caste Hindus are converting to Christianity to escape rigid caste hierarchy among the Hindus. Of all the criticisms the Act has attracted, most puzzling criticism has come from one Salim Engineer, General Secretary of a Muslim religious party in Rajasthan. He has termed banning religious conversions an act of fascism. One wonders what would be the reaction of Salim Engineer on the conversion of a Muslim to Christianity or Hinduism! The violation of the Act banning religious conversions in Rajasthan is punishable with five year imprisonment plus hefty fine. Conversion of a Muslim to other faith is an offence punishable with death.Abdul Rahman is an Afghan national. He is a mature man in his early forties. We shall refrain from examining the case of Rahman from religious point of view. It is beyond the scope of our study. We will restrict our inquiry to the basic rights of a sane, grown up man to take independent decisions. It would help us in assessing the painful plight of Abdul Rahman.As a general rule it is the right of a person to take an independent decision if his decision doesn’t prove harmful to the humanity. By taking a certain decision if a person doesn’t infringe on the rights of other people, and he doesn’t put the life, property, honour and dignity of other persons in danger, then no State would stop him from taking such a decision.The following examples in this context are simple, and comprehensible:-1) It is the fundamental right of a person to change his house and to shift from one accommodation to other. It is his right to decorate his house according to his aesthetics, and to give the house a colour of his choice. No one finds fault with such decisions of other persons.2) A patient having remained under the treatment of an eminent doctor over a prolonged period without any improvement has the right to change the physician. It is his personal decision to replace the doctor. Why should such a decision be of concern to others?3) A father, not being satisfied with the teaching standards of the school where his son is admitted, shifts his son to some other school he thinks is well equipped with better teaching methodologies. It is his fundamental right to give his child improved environment for quality education. Why should someone else object to his personal and private decision to get his son admitted to another educational institution?4) Haven’t we seen people migrate from one country to another, and even change nationality in their quest for economic wellbeing, peace of mind, freedom to give vent to his suppressed thoughts and feel liberated? What is legally or morally wrong with this?5) A person employed with a local bank has right to move to an international bank that offers higher emoluments and attractive fringe benefits.Now let us examine a hypothetical case of a Hindu peasant under the shadow of the state act of Rajasthan prohibiting religious conversions. A Hindu peasant, ignorant of the act, decides to embrace Christianity. His well-wishers warn him if he did convert he would be put behind bars for five years and his bullocks would be sold to recover the fine. In order to save himself and family from hardship, he retracts and decides not to become a Christian. What kind of a life thereafter he would live? Would he live the life of a true Hindu?If Abdul Rahman disavows his decision of becoming a Christian under threat to his life, would he thereafter live the life of a true Muslim? It is anybody’s guess. Like love you can’t inculcate faith under duress in the soul of a person. A state cannot exercise any influence on what one feels and believes in from within. It is the ‘without’ of a person the state controls with coercive laws.As I conclude the story, it is reported Abdul Rahman has been granted asylum in Italy and he has reached there.
Awaiting execution
By Amar Jaleel
Sometimes taking decisions independently is not as easy as it seemsBy the time this story reaches you, Abdul Rahman might be dead. The mode of execution that awaits him is not known to me. He would either be stoned to death, or beheaded, or he would give up his ghost in front of a firing squad with several bullets in his chest. Some of you who are not aware of the plight of Abdul Rahman would naturally like to know the heinousness of the crime he has committed.Abdul Rahman has not murdered anyone. He has not raped and molested women. He had not abducted someone for ransom. He had not planted a bomb at a crowded place for the genocide of the innocent people. In the opinion of the prosecutors, the crime Abdul Rahman has committed is more repulsive than the crime against humanity. Blowing up of a school van with kids in it is not as horrid a crime as the one he has committed. Born in a Muslim family, Abdul Rahman has adopted a new faith that is different from the faith of his family and his forefathers. He has embraced Christianity.Interestingly, the Government of the Indian State of Rajasthan last week clamped ban on the religious conversions. The State claims that religious conversions weaken the communal harmony. The low caste Hindus are converting to Christianity to escape rigid caste hierarchy among the Hindus. Of all the criticisms the Act has attracted, most puzzling criticism has come from one Salim Engineer, General Secretary of a Muslim religious party in Rajasthan. He has termed banning religious conversions an act of fascism. One wonders what would be the reaction of Salim Engineer on the conversion of a Muslim to Christianity or Hinduism! The violation of the Act banning religious conversions in Rajasthan is punishable with five year imprisonment plus hefty fine. Conversion of a Muslim to other faith is an offence punishable with death.Abdul Rahman is an Afghan national. He is a mature man in his early forties. We shall refrain from examining the case of Rahman from religious point of view. It is beyond the scope of our study. We will restrict our inquiry to the basic rights of a sane, grown up man to take independent decisions. It would help us in assessing the painful plight of Abdul Rahman.As a general rule it is the right of a person to take an independent decision if his decision doesn’t prove harmful to the humanity. By taking a certain decision if a person doesn’t infringe on the rights of other people, and he doesn’t put the life, property, honour and dignity of other persons in danger, then no State would stop him from taking such a decision.The following examples in this context are simple, and comprehensible:-1) It is the fundamental right of a person to change his house and to shift from one accommodation to other. It is his right to decorate his house according to his aesthetics, and to give the house a colour of his choice. No one finds fault with such decisions of other persons.2) A patient having remained under the treatment of an eminent doctor over a prolonged period without any improvement has the right to change the physician. It is his personal decision to replace the doctor. Why should such a decision be of concern to others?3) A father, not being satisfied with the teaching standards of the school where his son is admitted, shifts his son to some other school he thinks is well equipped with better teaching methodologies. It is his fundamental right to give his child improved environment for quality education. Why should someone else object to his personal and private decision to get his son admitted to another educational institution?4) Haven’t we seen people migrate from one country to another, and even change nationality in their quest for economic wellbeing, peace of mind, freedom to give vent to his suppressed thoughts and feel liberated? What is legally or morally wrong with this?5) A person employed with a local bank has right to move to an international bank that offers higher emoluments and attractive fringe benefits.Now let us examine a hypothetical case of a Hindu peasant under the shadow of the state act of Rajasthan prohibiting religious conversions. A Hindu peasant, ignorant of the act, decides to embrace Christianity. His well-wishers warn him if he did convert he would be put behind bars for five years and his bullocks would be sold to recover the fine. In order to save himself and family from hardship, he retracts and decides not to become a Christian. What kind of a life thereafter he would live? Would he live the life of a true Hindu?If Abdul Rahman disavows his decision of becoming a Christian under threat to his life, would he thereafter live the life of a true Muslim? It is anybody’s guess. Like love you can’t inculcate faith under duress in the soul of a person. A state cannot exercise any influence on what one feels and believes in from within. It is the ‘without’ of a person the state controls with coercive laws.As I conclude the story, it is reported Abdul Rahman has been granted asylum in Italy and he has reached there.
