2006年VOA标准英语-Judge Rejects Case Against Christian Conve

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
27 March 2006

Abdur Rahman  
  
Furious protests erupted in Afghanistan, after a local judge rejected the case against an Afghan Muslim who converted to Christianity. The move is widely expected to end a trial that has caused international concern over freedom of religion in Afghanistan, but has also become a rallying point for Islamic hard-liners.

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The Afghan judge's decision will almost certainly delay, if not end, the case against Muslim-born Abdur Rahman.

The 41-year-old father of two faces a possible death sentence for converting to Christianity 15 years ago.

Afghanistan's constitution enshrines both principles of civil liberties and Islamic law, which proscribes¹ death for any Muslim who abandons his religion.

The trial is now on hold. Speaking to reporters late Sunday, Prosecutor² Zemerai Amiri said he was reviewing the court's latest ruling, which also suggested Rahman was mentally unfit for trial.

Amiri says Rahman will undergo a thorough medical exam to assess his mental state.

The ruling eases international pressure on Afghanistan to end the controversial trial. But local officials say the move could spark widespread domestic unrest.

In northern Afghanistan, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets to protest the judge's decision and demand Rahman's execution.

Local clerics led the crowd in anti-western chants, and accused the U.S.-backed Afghan government of conspiring³ to break Islamic law.

On Friday, several local Muslim leaders warned they would incite⁴ people to kill Rahman themselves if he did not return to Islam.

1 proscribes   

v.正式宣布（某事物）有危险或被禁止( proscribe的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

2 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

3 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

4 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。