Democratic Institutions in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, a journalist was sentenced to death the other day. For blasphemy. It was a cool trial too – apparently he was brought into a room with three judges and an attorney, and of course, a death sentence that had already been written. Efficiency and all of that.

And what was his blasphemy? Apparently the accusation is that he downloaded some article which criticizes how women are treated in Islamic societies. What a fiend this guy must be! Now, some feel an aggravating circumstance is that his brother has written articles criticizing some local warlord or other (i.e., ally of ours).