Posted on 03/24/2008 10:16:51 AM PDT by NYer
ITALIAN editor and critic of Islamic extremism Magdi Allam, who converted to Catholicism from Islam and was baptised by Pope Benedict XVI, today branded his former faith as intrinsically violent.
"I had to do this (abandon Islam)", Allam wrote in a long letter to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
"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," wrote the Egyptian-born journalist, who says he has received death threats and is under police protection.
One of seven adults baptised during an Easter vigil yesterday evening, Allam, 55, is an editorial writer and deputy editor at Corriere.
Regarding a combative tone that has made him famous in Italy, Allam wrote: "Over the years my spirit has been freed from the obscurantism of an ideology that legitimises lies and deception, violent death that leads to homicide and suicide, blind submission to tyranny."
He described Catholicism as "an authentic religion of Truth, Life and Freedom".
By baptising Allam in the public ceremony, the Pope "sent an explicit and revolutionary message to a church that until now has been too cautious in the conversion of Muslims ... because of the fear of being unable to protect the converted who are condemned to death for apostasy," Allam said.
"Thousands of people in Italy have converted to Islam and practise their faith serenely," he wrote.
"But there are also thousands of Muslims who have converted to Christianity who are forced to hide their new faith out of fear of being killed by Islamist terrorists."
Allam adopted the Christian name of Cristiano (Christian), not a common name in Italy.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Allam, who has been outspoken about the conflict in the Middle East, in 2006 organised a demonstration in Rome in support of Christians in the Muslim world.
Magdi Allam, right, Italy's most prominent Muslim commentator, receives holy communion after being baptized by Pope Benedict XVI, at left, during the Easter vigil mass in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Saturday, March 22, 2008. In an Easter Mass Sunday celebrated on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica to mark Catholicism's most important day, he praised conversions to Christianity, only hours after he baptized a prominent Muslim. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Catholic Ping
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Both the Pope and Mr. Allam have shown extraordinary courage in a world that trembles at the mention of Islam.
God Bless Magdi Allam.
Linking religions to violence in public can only be done when one’s own religion has a spotless record of peace and love. Of course, the catholic church has an impeccable past of religious tolerance.
The death threats are only proving Magdi Allam is right about the nature of Islam. I once saw a German Neo-Nazi on 60 Minutes say that Islam was the only religion Hitler respected. He respected it because he saw it as an aggressive, warlike religion. He despised the humane, peaceful message of Christianity.
May the merciful Hand of God protect Magdi Allam. It takes a brave man to face down the death threats and attempts on his life that will surely come in the days to follow.
When was the last time the Catholic Church advocated killing nonbelievers?
The past is the past. The RCC has issued numerous apologies for past wrongs and if that’s not enough for you then to hell with you.
> ITALIAN editor and critic of Islamic extremism Magdi Allam, who converted to Catholicism from Islam and was baptised by Pope Benedict XVI, today branded his former faith as intrinsically violent.
My initial reaction to this was “well Duhhh what was your first clue?”
Then I thought about it quite a bit harder and realized the remarkable courage this man has demonstrated, and what a stinging blow it would be for our enemy. He is much more credible and articulate than any of the western turncoats and traitors that have taken up arms on behalf of the Taliban/al Qaeda.
And good on the Pope — another brave man — for allowing this to happen in such a public manner.
May God bless them both.
Oh, grow up. The reality in the modern world is that one religion is orders of magnitude worse than all the others put together on issues with “peace and love”, as you put it, and not recognizing this and attempting your weird moral equivalency argument is childish at best. This isn’t 1200AD any more.
In your face!
On a serious note, this event once again makes me think of Ronald Reagan's greatest speech, "A Time for Choosing":
You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, "There is a price we will not pay." There is a point beyond which they must not advance.
Winston Churchill said that "the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits--not animals." And he said, "There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."
We have converts from many faiths, and from total unbelief.
I can't imagine former Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus condemning their original faith as "intrinsically violent".
But for a former mohammedan to say that just doesn't strike me as odd.
1834
That was the year the Spanish Inquisition was finally disbanded.
I don’t understand why this had to be done in the public eye. What is to gain from that?
Don’t bother with aristotleman, he’s just mad that this brave man went to the fundementalist islamic and Christian’s common enemy, the Roman Catholic Church.
So you are saying that Mr. Allam should hide his faith.
It means “in your face” to Islam and should be an invitation for more Muslims to convert.
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