A prominent Muslim becomes a Christian: is he taking his life into his own hands?

Magdi Allam is a fine journalist. I have always enjoyed reading his op-eds. He writes for Corriere della Sera, the Italian equivalent of the New York Times. A man of reasonable and civil opinion, an Egyptian gentleman who loves his adopted country with a passion that outstrips that of most natives, he has now become a Christian. This Holy Saturday, he will be baptized by Pope Benedict.

Is Magdi Allam taking his life into his own hands? If he is, is it tolerable in our day that someone becomes a potential victim of a religious vendetta because he followed his conscience?

Here is a site set up by friends of Magdi Allam. Even if you cannot read Italian, you can probably get an inkling of what Allam stands for. Here is an article in English which gives you a sense of who Allam is. Here is the news item itself.

Comments

[Alan Lenzi]

I don't get the conversion to Catholicism but a very interesting and courageous man. Thanks for posting about this.

[Chris]

Good point about "taking his life into his own hands" - or perhaps better: putting his life into the hands of God...I am curious about the reaction in the Muslim world, but to my surprise (I admit) - it has been kind of muted...

[JohnFH]

In some Italian leftist circles, the attempt has been made for some time to make Allam into a CIA agent, or at least, a friend of CIA agents.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this and more to surface on a broader scale. Allam is awfully clear about his reasons for departing from Islam. See my post to appear soon.