Muslim Convert

Magdi Allam, an Egytian-born journalist who resides in Italy, was baptized into the Catholic faith by Pope Benedict during this past Easter Vigil service. Allam, who is deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera newspaper, was considered one of Italy's most controversial Muslim commentators for denouncing Muslim extremism, and for his castigation of multiculturalism.

Under Islamic law, converting from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death, something that did not deter the new convert.

I'm quite surprised that more vociferous consternation hasn't been heard from Muslims around the world as a reaction to Magdi Allam's conversion. The late Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who was a Jewish convert and the archbishop of Paris from 1981 until 2005, was accused of betraying his Jewish ancestral faith by converting to Christianity some sixty seven years before his death. This type of criticism, some have suggested, undermined Lustiger’s chances for the papacy after the passing of Pope John Paul II.

Although I’m digressing from the original subject matter of this post, I have decided to include Cardinal Lustiger's epitah, which he wrote himself before succumbing to bone and lung cancer on August 5, 2007. I think it's quite beautiful.

I was born Jewish.
I received the name
Of my paternal grandfather, Aaron
Having become Christian
By faith and by Baptism,
I have remained Jewish
As did the Apostles.
I have as my patron saints
Aaron the High Priest,
Saint John the Apostle,
Holy Mary full of grace.
Named 139th archbishop of Paris
by His Holiness Pope John-Paul II,
I was enthroned in this Cathedral
on 27 February 1981,
And here I exercised my entire ministry.
Passers-by, pray for me.

† Aaron Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger
Archbishop of Paris