Quick -- Paint Some Schools or Something!

Duh-mocracy and enlightenment are spreading apace in our new Afghan colony:

In the days of the Taliban, those promoting Christianity in Afghanistan could be arrested and those converting from Islam could be tortured and publicly executed.

That was supposed to change after U.S.-led forces ousted the oppressive, fundamentalist regime, but the case of 41-year-old Abdul Rahman has many Western nations wondering if Afghanistan is regressing.

Rahman, a father of two, was arrested and is on trial for rejecting Islam. The Afghan constitution, which is based on Sharia, or Islamic law, says that apostates can receive the death penalty.

"They want to sentence me to death, and I accept it," Rahman told reporters last week, "but I am not a deserter and not an infidel."

He had been arrested after telling local police, whom he approached on an unrelated matter, that he had converted to Christianity. Reports say he was carrying a Bible at the time.

He said he converted to Christianity 16 years ago after working with a Christian aid group that assisted refugees in neighboring Pakistan.

Now, let me see ... American security depends on the success of the current, democratically-installed sharia regime in Afghanistan, as opposed to the old, bad sharia regime, right?

Or is that in Iraq?

Or -- maybe in a week or two -- in Iran?

I just get so confused, sometimes ... shouldn't the Emperor bomb Syria, instead? At least it would be easier to keep the names straight.