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Muhammad Hegazy Update. "Egypt Rules Christian Convert Must Remain Legally Muslim," by Ethan Cole for the Christian Post:
An Egyptian judge ruled this week in an unprecedented case that a Muslim who converted to Christianity cannot legally change his religious status, although he may believe what he wants in his heart.
Muhammad Hegazy, 25, lost his case on Tuesday when Judge Muhammad Husseini of a court in Cairo said according to sharia, or Islamic law, Islam is the final and most complete religion and therefore Muslims already practice full freedom of religion and cannot convert to an older belief (Christianity or Judaism), according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
No compulsion in religion.
“He (Hegazy) can believe whatever he wants in his heart, but on paper he can’t convert,” Husseini told the administrative court, according to a member of Hegazy’s legal team to Compass Direct.
Judge Husseini based his decision on Article II of the Egyptian constitution, which makes sharia the source of Egyptian law.
Hegazy has denounced the ruling as a “violation” of his basic rights.
“What does the state have to do with the religion I embrace?” Hegazy questioned, according to the United States Copts Association following the ruling.
The convert’s defense team was also disappointed with the verdict.
“The judge didn’t listen to our defense, and we didn’t even have a chance to talk before the court,” said Gamel Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) to U.S. Copts Association.
Last August, Hegazy filed a historic case to seek official recognition for his conversion from Islam to Christianity. Because of persecution, converts to Christianity usually hide their new religious beliefs and only practice their faith secretly.
But Hegazy was the first convert to sue Egypt for rejecting his application to officially change his religion on his identification papers. He explained that his wife, who is also a Muslim convert to Christianity, was expecting a baby and wanted his daughter to be raised in an openly Christian environment.
In Egypt, a child’s registered religion is based on the father’s official faith. Therefore, since Hegazy is officially Muslim, his daughter would not be able to enroll in Christian religious classes at school, wed in a church, or attend church services openly without harassment under Egyptian law.
Hegazy and his wife, Zeinab, have gone into hiding since filing the case because of the numerous death threats they received, including one from Hegazy’s father if he does not return to Islam. While in hiding, Zeinab gave birth to their daughter on Jan. 10, according to CSW.
“We are dismayed at the decision of the judge to deny Muhammad Hegazy the right to change his religion,” said CSW’s chief executive Mervyn Thomas. “The Egyptian Constitution seemingly allows for religious freedom, and Egypt has ratified international human rights treaties which grant the individual the right to adopt a religion of their choice.”
“Yet this ruling highlights just how different the reality is for converts like Muhammad Hegazy. We urge the international community to call upon Egypt to uphold the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” he added.
An ANHRI representative said Hegazy still plans to appeal the ruling or possibly open a new case. Zeinab plans to also file a petition for her right to change her religion to Christianity.
Posted by Marisol at February 9, 2008 12:10 AM
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Will the UN Human Rights Commission intervene? Of course not.
Posted by: dlp![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 9, 2008 12:26 AM
What a pathetic excuse for a god. Has to force people to follow him under pain of death.
Christians follow God because they love him and the chose to follow him of their own free will.
Muslims follow Allan because if they don't he'll have them killed.
No, they are not the same God. The God of Islam is the exact opposite of the God of Christianity - and I would hazard the Judaism as well.
And has the Canadian Human Rights Comission made a ruling on this yet?
Posted by: CrazyFool at February 9, 2008 12:42 AM
CSW’s chief executive Mervyn Thomas. “The Egyptian Constitution seemingly allows for religious freedom, and Egypt has ratified international human rights treaties which grant the individual the right to adopt a religion of their choice.”
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=36TNd3c0K8Q
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_D1WhNwN5qk
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SpOKKjaTAKQ
at February 9, 2008 4:02 AM
Let him come to England and slap Archbishop "Sharia should become law in the UK" Williams with a wet kipper.
Rowan (all Archbishops are so touchy-feely-friendly that we call them by their Christian, whoops, I mean first name) could then go to Egypt and discuss his Christian status with the learned judge.
Posted by: Celsius at February 9, 2008 7:01 AM
Will no western nation offer this man and his family asylum?
Posted by: ImNoDhimmi at February 9, 2008 7:04 AM
Well, Muhammad Hegazy might not get to call himself Boudros or Boulos, but he won't be the only guy named Muhammad to be welcomed at a Christian communion table. The cracks in the Islamic world are coming and growing, and I dare to hope that this current furor islamicus may be the religion of the false prophet burning itself out.
Posted by: Kepha at February 9, 2008 9:20 AM
"“The judge didn’t listen to our defense, and we didn’t even have a chance to talk before the court,” ....
for all those who would vote to allow Sharia law...take note...
Posted by: exsgtbrown at February 9, 2008 11:12 AM
Hegazy is a brave person for going to court to officially change is religion.
The Egyptian's court's ruling came as no surprise though. What was surprising was that it wasn't dismissed by the court.
In indonesia, as far as I know, nobody has gone to court to have his/her religion officially changed. Ex muslims are still registered as muslims, as what has happened to my brother in law.
Once a muslim, you lost all your rights to freedom to choose/not to have a belief.
at February 9, 2008 2:58 PM
" ... Muslims already practice full freedom of religion and cannot convert"
These dopes couldn't think their way out of a wet paper bag.
It's no wonder they're all broke and incompetent.
Note particularly the complete incomprehension of the explicitly used word "freedom" and the implied concept of choice.
at February 9, 2008 4:00 PM
Islam is the final and most complete religion and therefore Muslims already practice full freedom of religion and cannot convert to an older belief
Actually, I just made up the final and most complete religion five minutes ago. Therefore, Muslims do not practice full freedome of religion and must convert to this newer belief, called "venividivici-ism".
That's about the same level of logic as this "judge's" statement.
Posted by: venividivici at February 9, 2008 9:28 PM
I have started reading this blog again recently, so this is my first post in a long time.
Hegazy plans to appeal his case and his wife also plans to file a petition. Could this be a situation in which an international campaign (maybe a petition and/or letter-writing, for example) in support of this family might have some influence? Moderate Islamic organisations could also be invited to get involved or to endorse the campaign. If they are moderate, and take seriously the Koran verse about there being no compulsion in religion, as they claim, then they should support this man and his wife. And if not, well...
At any rate, it was just an idea that I had. Maybe something has already been started and I just haven't seen it?
Posted by: Margheri at February 9, 2008 10:50 PM
Islam: a offer you can't refuse.
Posted by: profitsbeard at February 9, 2008 11:17 PM
Dip-Regarding the UNHCR, I've just written a letter to Louise Arbour about the case. I'll send it on Monday. (I think that letters are more likely to be taken seriously than emails...) Perhaps it won't make a difference, but I have always felt that the little bit that we can do is better than nothing.
These international institutions are supposed to exist to serve the international population. They are supposed to be accountable to us, and I think that it is time that we start expecting that they take us, and our ideas and concerns, seriously. We pay their salaries.
Posted by: Margheri at February 9, 2008 11:27 PM
Back to Story - Help
Egypt court upholds Christian conversion By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Writer
Sat Feb 9, 7:46 PM ET
Egypt's highest civil court ruled Saturday that 12 Coptic Christians who had converted to Islam could return to their old faith, ending a yearlong legal battle over the predominantly Muslim state's tolerance for conversion.
The court overturned an April 2007 ruling by a lower court that forbade the 12 Muslims from returning to Christianity on the grounds that Islamic law would consider that apostasy.
There is no Egyptian law against converting from Islam to Christianity, but in this case tradition had taken precedent. Under a widespread interpretation of Islamic law, converting from Islam is apostasy and punishable by death — though the state has never ordered or carried out an execution on those grounds.
Judge Mohammed el-Husseini sidestepped the issue by saying the 12 should not be considered apostates since they were born Christian, said a judicial official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The judge also ordered the Ministry of Interior to list converts' former and current religious status on identification cards, which the government body had previously refused to do.
Mamdouh Nakhlah, a lawyer for the 12, described the ruling as "victory for human rights and freedom of religion in Egypt."
"This will open the door for many others to return to Christianity," Nakhlah told The Associated Press.
While lower courts have ruled in favor of conversions in the past, Saturday's ruling was the first in a high court. Government bodies have until now refused to recognize conversions away from Islam.
However, given the judge's reasoning that the men could convert because were born Christian, the ruling will not necessarily bring change for other Muslims who wish to convert. Most who convert practice their new religion quietly or leave the country.
Egyptian Christians can easily convert to Islam and many do so to obtain a divorce, which is prohibited by the conservative Coptic Church. But many change their minds or say they were converted against their will by a parent and want to become Christians again.
Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 76 million population and generally live in peace with the Sunni Muslim majority, though sectarian clashes do occasionally occur.
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at February 11, 2008 3:33 AM
Seeker - see, they were never Moslems in the first place! That makes it all better!
Posted by: tanstaafl at February 11, 2008 9:19 AM
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