Afghan Christian in Italy.

ROME — The Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity received asylum in Italy Wednesday, despite requests by lawmakers in Afghanistan that he be barred from fleeing the conservative Muslim country.

Abdul Rahman arrived in Rome days after he was freed from a high-security prison on the outskirts of Kabul after a court dropped charges of apostasy against him for lack of evidence and suspected mental illness.

Thank God he's safe now. I'm glad the whole ordeal is over for this poor man. I hope that the world-wide attention this received will discourage the Afghan government from future persecution of Christians.

This kind of thing is what makes me very, very grateful and proud to be an American.