Egyptian lawyer: Christianity kills apostates
Nova Scotia
Maher Mu’Tasim is only the second Egyptian Muslim-born Christian to file for legal acknowledgement of his religious conversion. Last August, he sued the Interior Minister and other government figures to change the official religious affiliation of himself and his 14-year-old daughter Dina (at right) from Islam to Christianity.
In a closed court session last Saturday, “heated” and “emotionally charged” discussions took place about the applicability of Egypt’s Apostasy Law. Mr Mu’Tasim’s lawyers insisted that the Sharia-based law is contrary to Egypt’s constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.
A state lawyer then provided some unintentional comic relief.
Lawyer Hamid Sadiq, argued that Christianity have a Law governing Apostasy, which requires the killing of Christians who convert!!!! an argument which drew laughter from all those present.
We’ll come back to that in a moment.
The judge’s order that Mr Mu’Tasim produce a baptism certificate and “an official certificate confirming his affiliation to a Christian denomination” presented some problems.
Commenting on the judge’s demands, convert Maher Mu’Tasim said, “It is impossible to present a religious affiliation or a baptism certificate signed by any priest, as this will mean placing the priest or the Church on the targeting list of the state security, as well as the fanatics.”
Mu’Tasim’s claim is not reported to have elicited laughter or any other expression of disbelief. (And, just to be clear, I’m sure everyone is aware that he’s referring to Muslim “fanatics”.)
To summarise: A claim that Christianity mandates death for apostates is so ridiculous that the courtroom erupts in laughter, while a claim that priests and congregations suspected of ministering to ex-Muslim Christians risk persecution from government agents and Islamic fanatics provokes no dissension.
That says it all.
The proceeding is scheduled to resume on 21 February.