DNE: Church keeps its distance from Higazy case, convert receives death threats

Church keeps its distance from Higazy case, convert receives death threats

By Liam Stack
First Published: August 12, 2007

CAIRO: Mohamed Higazy, a Port Said man who converted from Islam to Christianity, has gone into hiding after attempts to change his religion on his government ID card sparked a national controversy.

According to friends of Higazy, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear for their personal safety, he and his wife, also a convert who is four months pregnant, went into hiding after receiving death threats.

Now the two live in an undisclosed location and change their phone numbers frequently, for fear that they will be discovered.

Religious conversion is a taboo topic in Egypt, where Muslims and Christians live side by side in an often tense peace. In recent years the two communities have clashed several times in small skirmishes in Alexandria and villages in Upper Egypt, which have left several dead. Frequently, these clashes have been sparked by rumors of conversions.

Most Muslims who convert do not wish to draw attention to themselves, because renouncing Islam is considered an act of apostasy which many believe is punishable by death.

In this context Higazy’s court petition to legally change his religion is a surprisingly bold step. But, according to an interview with the Associated Press, he is unwilling to back down.

''I know there are fatwas [religious edicts] to shed my blood, but I will not give up and I will not leave the country,'' said the 25-year-old, who has adopted the Christian name Beshoi.

Already, his legal case has run into trouble. His original lawyer, Mamdouh Nakhlah, quit after the public outcry began, and his new lawyer says he is still weighing whether or not to continue with the case.

Higazy’s case was dealt another potentially serious blow on Saturday, when TV newsmagazine El Ashera Masa’an, reported that the Coptic Church had released a statement dissociating itself from the case.

Daily News Egypt could not reach the church for comment at press time.

At the heart of the case, say human rights advocates, is the role that religion plays in documents issued by the Egyptian government.

“Including one’s religion on identity cards is nothing but a means of discriminating against people on the basis of religion. It should be totally discarded,” said Gamal Eid, Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.

“Mohamed Higazy’s intentions were sincere,” he added. “He should be able to choose his own beliefs and religion free of any pressure from anyone else.”