religious insanity in afghanistan

politics: i find this case of the muslim converting to christianity situation to be totally abhorrent. from the Asia Times Online article titled Losing Faith in Afghanistan, Syed Shahzad writes:

Even as the Bush administration steps up pressure on Afghanistan over the plight of a Christian convert, thousands of youths are descending on Kabul to demand that he be hanged for renouncing Islam.

and goes on to write:

"Regardless of the court decision [whether or not he is hanged], there is unanimous agreement by all religious scholars from the north to the south, the east to the west of Afghanistan, that Abdul Rahman should be executed," Engineer Ahmad Shah Ahmad Zai told Asia Times Online on telephone from Kabul.

i find this so utterly ridiculous, that in the 21 century, humanity has not evolved much at all. as someone who's religion arose to defend the rights of those being forceably converted under threat of death, i would love to know why these types of laws are not denounced by sane minded clerics? or are they, and its just not news worthy? is this death for conversion really written into sharia law? and if so, why did the u.s., and its NATO allies, ever allow afghanistan to base its laws on such savage precedent? also, what disturbs me the most is the claim that the masses support this execution. why? why does it matter at all that people choose another faith? it seems to me, quite simple: the path to eternal bliss is the one that gets you there - the rest are details.

oddly, i think for the first time in quite a while, if ever, i'm in agreement w/ bush. for once i am comforted by the fact that he is a christian, and hence, intrinsically offended by this. nonetheless, i find it bothersome that all the world is asking for is that this one man be spared -- the law should be abolished, and the people educated on its utter insanity.