Afghan to be killed for becoming a Christian?

Sigh. More proof that hoping for a liberal democracy in the Middle East is going to require a whole lot of work and cultural change.

Abdul Rahman, 41, faces a possible death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago. He has been charged with rejecting Islam, a crime under this country's Islamic laws. Bush said in a speech that a young democracy is growing in Afghanistan, but he's concerned about the case.

This is one of those laws that comes straight from the Koran, but is not enforced in most modernized Muslim countries. Here's hoping Afghanistan decides that it wants to be "modern."