Outspoken Journalist Converts

The biggest religious news from the Easter weekend was the Pope's baptism of Magdi Allam, an Egyptian-born Italian journalist who has been an outspoken critic of radical Islam. I don't have anything original to add here but agree with Samir Khalil Samir, sj, writing an excellent commentary in Asia News:

[J]ust as with the Regensburg address, this baptism is a message in defence of religious freedom, of evangelisation and of co-existence between religions....

What is for me somewhat disjoined is that [Allam] chose the moment of his baptism to continue his analysis of Islamic fundamentalism.  That was the precise moment in which Magdi could have communicated how Christianity is the fulfilling of Islam’s religious leanings.

The original story as covered by ZENIT: Magdi Allam Recounts His Path to Conversion.

Fr Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Vatican, defends the baptism while saying the Pope does not necessarily agree with all Allam's opinions. Says Lombardi,

Maybe this is why the pope accepted the risk of this baptism: to affirm the freedom of religious choice which derives from the dignity of the human person.

John Allen weighs in with thoughts on why the baptism of this one man was carried out in such a prominent manner that anyone could predict it would arouse a strong reaction in Muslim quarters.

• For a pope committed to reawakening a strong missionary spirit in Catholicism, receiving a high-profile convert during the Easter Vigil is a symbolic way of making the point. In effect, Benedict is saying that the church shouldn't shrink from receiving anyone who knocks on its door, even if there's a political price to be paid.
• Allam's baptism can also be read as a statement of solidarity with Muslim converts to Christianity around the world, many of whom suffer in various ways on account of that decision.
• Finally, the episode illustrates an important wrinkle to Benedict's personality -- stubborn indifference to the canons of political correctness. Benedict is a gracious figure, but he also refuses to sanitize what he regards as important matters of belief or practice in order to avoid PR headaches. Whether that amounts to moral courage or tone-deafness to public reaction is a matter of opinion, but the pattern is clear.

Sherry Weddell at Intentional Disciples

• gets into an interesting exchange over the prudence of giving the baptism such a high profile
• explains the main reasons Muslims give for converting to Christianity and shows (scroll down to near the end of the comments) why there's more to evangelism than speechifying
• clarifies just what one prominent Muslim cleric said about freedom of conscience.