President Karzai assures that respect for human and religious rights will be upheld

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has just issued a press release regarding Abdul Rahman:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement after the conclusion of his telephone call to Afghanistan President Karzai.

"I called President Karzai today to express my deep concerns regarding theRahmanm case and the issue of freedom of religion in Afghanistan.

President Karzai listened to my concerns and we had a productive and informative exchange of views.

Upon the conclusion of the call, he assured me that respect for human and religious rights will be fully upheld in this case."

I don't know if this is just diplomat speakch, but this seems to be a very good sign. President Karzai's response is probably motivated by the attention in the Wes,t now being focused on him, With Amnesty International, now speaking out:

Amnesty International today called on the Afghan authorities to urgently commit themselves to judicial reform and the upholding of international standards as Abdul Rahman, 41, reportedly faces calls for his execution in connection with his reported conversion from Islam to Christianity.

And as Dawn Eden reported, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns, speaking out on behalf of the U.S., asserted that "people should be free to choose their religion and should not suffer any severe penalties, certainly not death."