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Adjmal Nashkbandi, the Afghan interpreter kidnapped alongside the now-free Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, payed the ultimate price for not-being Italian, when the Taliban executed him yesterday.

Mastrogiacomo was released on the 19th of March, in a deal that involved the release of five taliban prisoners by the Afghan government. Nashkbandi, though, was not released at the same time, being kept by the Taliban in order to force more concessions from Karzait’s government. Concessions that were never likely to come.

On the 2nd of April a very public message was delivered to the new President of the Italian Bishops Conference, Archbishop Bagnasco. Daubed on the doors of Genoa’s San Lorenzo cathedral were the words ‘Shame on you Bagnasco’¹

The message was, presumably, a reaction to the controversy generated by the newly appointed succesor to Cardinal Ruini, and his clarification as to why the Italian Bishops Conference has publicly opposed upcoming legislation which would grant legal rights to de facto couples (including homosexuals)[legislation referred to popularly as DICO, from it's acronym in Italian].