Rahman's Rights 

ROME , MARCH 30, 2006 ( Zenit.org ).- Benedict XVI recently appealed for the life of an Afghan who was facing the death penalty for having converted from Islam to Christianity.

An Afghan court subsequently dismissed the case against Abdul Rahman, who on Wednesday was offered asylum by Italy .

The Pope's plea on Rahman's behalf also appealed for respect of religious freedom worldwide. That plea was strongly seconded by Monsignor Felix Machado, the undersecretary for the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

In an interview prior to Italy 's granting of asylum, Monsignor Machado told me that he encourages acts of solidarity with Rahman from Catholics in keeping with the Church's mission of promoting freedom of faith.

"Rahman has been set free by the law but there might sometimes be illegitimate elements that will want to harm him," he explained. "Therefore, I think his appeal for help of this kind should be responded to with generosity and through this case we may truly see how religions can collaborate for the greater good of humanity and peace in the world."

The monsignor emphasized that religious freedom is an issue that goes beyond the recent case in Afghanistan .

"There are too many who suffer the affliction of religious oppression," said the member of the Roman Curia. "The release of Rahman is very good news. Not only in an isolated manner, but also for the situation of the globe, as it may help spread good news and assist others to think more openly along these lines."

Monsignor Machado says it is a fundamental calling of all people of good will to promote the right of every human to choose and practice his own religion.

"While limitations can come from groups of people trying to impose their ideas on the rest," he said, "that must be resolved by calling people to dialogue."

"Dialogue is based on building up trust and confidence … many times when there is no dialogue, there is no trust," the monsignor continued. "And when there is no trust, people don't listen. And when people don't listen, the few that want to impose their way of looking at things tend to win -- and that's sad."

The monsignor recalled a message of Pope John Paul II on what our response should be: "He said: Religions shouldn't become obstacles in the way of peace. They shouldn't become part of the problems, but rather prove that there are real and peaceful solutions."