Author:
Publication: IslamOnline.net
Date: March 23, 2008
URL: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1203758327324&pagename=Zone-English-News%2FNWELayout
Pope Benedict XVI has baptized Muslim-born
Islam critic Magdi Allam who converted to Roman Catholicism in an Easter vigil
mass at St Peter's Basilica in Vatican city late on Saturday, March 22.
"To the Catholic Church, anyone has the
right to be baptized who is making a fully free choice after a deep personal
quest and adequate preparation," Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi
said in a statement cited by Reuters.
Allam, a 55-year-old Italian journalist of
Egyptian origin, adopted the name of Cristiano (Christian), not a common name
in Italy.
Living in Italy for 35 years, he has said
he was never a very devout Muslim.
His conversion to Christianity was a well-kept
secret, disclosed by the Vatican less than an hour before the Easter eve service
started.
Allam, an editorial writer and deputy publisher
of the mass-circulation Corriere della Sera, was known for his harsh criticism
of Islam and Muslims.
He stanchly defended Pope Benedict after his
controversial 2006 lecture in which he cited criticism of Islam and Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) by an ancient Roman emperor.
The speech sparked massive protests in the
Muslim world and strained relations between the Vatican and the main Muslim
religious authorities.
Allam, one of Italy's most famous and controversial
journalists, is a strong supporter of Israel.
He blames the Palestinians, rather thank the
Israeli occupation, for the continuous conflict in the Middle East.
Allam has been for long protected by a police
escort because of threats he has allegedly received.
Only a few hours after his baptization, Allam
attacked Islam and branded it as an intrinsically violent faith.
"Beyond.the phenomenon of extremists
and Islamist terrorism at the global level, the root of evil is inherent to
a physiologically violent and historically conflictual Islam," he wrote
in a letter published by his della Sera on Sunday, March 23.
"Over the years my spirit has been freed
from the obscurantism of an ideology that legitimizes lies and deception,
violent death that leads to homicide and suicide, blind submission to tyranny."
He stressed that through his public baptization
the pope "sent an explicit and revolutionary message to a Church that
until now has been too cautious in the conversion of Muslims."
Yaha Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, vice-president
of the Italian Islamic Religious Community, downplayed Allam's conversion."What
amazes me is the high profile the Vatican has given this conversion."
