s371435
11 February 2008, 02:32PM

Funny how when children are raised they are always told not to fight one another and resolve any disputes peacefully and respectfully. It’s only when we grow up that our answer to problems is to charge in and kill opponents and create wars. Sorry - completely off topic…

Alan McQueen
11 February 2008, 01:46PM

Reply to Greg Ewing

Australian troops are fighting for dictatorships in Saudi, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, to think otherwise is naive.

Alexandra Rodda
10 February 2008, 02:55PM

Journalist Perwiz Kambakhsh has been sentenced to death, after being convicted of downloading and distributing written materials examining the role of women in the Islamic faith, by the primary court in Mazar-i Sharif, northern Afghanistan.
This is yet another example of the extremes of brutality that tribalism is capable of. Perwiz Kambakhsh can take comfort in the knowledge that Mohammad too was a decent man who tried to improve the way in which women were being treated. No doubt he would not last long in Northern Afghanistan either.
The governmentof Afghanistan,as one of the earliest members of the United Nations should call a halt to the execution and enforce the United Nations resolution to call a moratorium on executions prior to abolishing the death penalty.

Joe Grech
8 February 2008, 01:50PM

The so-called western free world must be united in its condemnation of decisions like this one and the governments that make them. We are too often duplicitous in our handling of these regimes ‘friendly’ to us. We are personally disgusted by the human rights violations we repeatedly see in these tyrannical states and we must be disgusted on a national level also. The goverment of Hamid Karzai must immediately intervene and overturn the primitive and barbaric judicial decision against Perwiz Kambakhsh and crush the religious/judicial authorities that are capable of making such decisions. They have no place in civilized society. We of the free world must act through our representatives against the Karzai regime with the immediate withdrawal of the military support we give it. Karzai and Afghanistan by being enemies to the precept “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” are enemies to us; they are, at least, no friends of mine.

s371435
8 February 2008, 02:07AM

Will Amnesty be creating some sort of campaign for this or at least a petition? For now I have discovered a website that provides a sample letter and address of President Karzai to post (snail mail) letters to: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/1335/action/ - please take the time to write to the Afghan government and protest this disgustingly SICK decision.

Mary
7 February 2008, 03:30PM

I’m very disturbed at this article, everywhere in the world we have criminals running the show.
Its hard to stomach that in 2008 there are so many people being killed. I cant stand the fact that leaders use religion, propaganda, and violence, its so sickening.
Why do the most cunning,evil and vindictive people get so much power in this world??
Can this trend ever end or will we be bound by the evil CEO’s, managers, politicians,religious leaders and war addicted men who continue to destroy society and the human soul forever.
Enough is enough!!

Amina Daligand
7 February 2008, 02:37PM

I am fed up of those so called muslim countries who abuse human rights in the most horrible way. I am a practising Muslim and I can see that those governments like Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and many others do not follow the tenets of Islam which encourages us to negotiate, discuss.
Killing, torture are also sins in Islam and
the leaders should learn to practise their religion the correct way instead of making it more abhorrent to Muslims and non Muslims alike
Amina Daligand

love land
7 February 2008, 12:56PM

Reply to Felix.
I hope you understand that Islam encourages people to explore and understand the religion, as well as study other religions. As we all know, people in power are continuously abusing their authority in whatever name.
I think what is happening to this journalist is absolutely absurd. Whatever happened to freedom of speech???

Michael Glass
7 February 2008, 12:35PM

Every time something like this happens in the name of Islam, Islam is made to look bad, and respect for religion is reduced. Every time something like this happens in the name of Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s standing in the world is diminished.  Surely there is a way to reach President Karzai to let him know just how damaging this injustice is to his reputation and the reputation of his country and his religion.

Sarah
7 February 2008, 10:03AM

I would not want to undermine or pre-empt any action by Amnesty on this, but in the interim Nictea there is already an on-line petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?af8f6912&51;

Leo Sayers
7 February 2008, 09:53AM

Thank god for Amnesty. While such organisations exist, there is still hope. No-one has the right to take a life, even if they do call themselves a government.

Greg Ewing
7 February 2008, 09:50AM

This is appalling news. The current Afghani administration are supposed to be the ‘good’ guys. Do Australian soldiers know that this is what they are risking their lives for?

Felix MacNeill
7 February 2008, 09:13AM

Any religious authority that condemns someone to death because of an honest endeavour to explore and understand his own religion is beneath contempt.

nictea
4 February 2008, 06:39PM

Is there something we can do to protest this sentence?