Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Religion of Peace Update - Egyptian Convert To Christianity in Hiding, Fearful Of Muslim Retribution
Religion of Peace Update - Egyptian Convert To Christianity in Hiding, Fearful Of Muslim Retribution
August 25, 2008
Religion Of Peace Update - Egyptian Convert To Christianity In Hiding, Fearful Of Muslim Retribution
Religion Of Peace Update - Egyptian Convert To Christianity In Hiding, Fearful Of Muslim Retribution
August 25, 2008 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - Maher al-Gohari, a 56 year old ex-Egyptian policeman, rejected Islam 30 years ago, secretly converting to Christianity. However now that his request to change the religious status on the official identification that all Egyptians must carry has been made public, he is in hiding, fearful that he will be killed as an apostate.
Al-Gohari is even afraid that his now estranged family might try to harm him because of his conversion, as quoted by the AFP news service al-Gohari stated, "I was forced to leave my family home where I have lived with my mother and daughter…My family has threatened me with death after the press published reports about the legal request I made…I never insulted Islam. I simply wanted my rights and wanted the state to treat me according to the belief I have chosen…" [source, http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTFCrE70P27IHoUaYRM6zNTrnlFA]
The threat from his family is palpable al-Gohari said, "My younger brother knew about it but since then he's been waiting for [me] outside my building ... with a gun…He wants to kill me." [source, ibid]
In much of the Muslim world converting from Islam to another religion is considered apostasy and is punishable by death under Shari'a.
This is a critical point, well worth noting when evaluating the phenomenon of Muslim "interfaith dialogue," it being inconceivable to engage in true faith sharing - a two way conversation - when one side is theologically proscribed from ever being receptive or open to another religion. http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=egyptid=8.25.08%2Ehtm
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