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Pope Baptizes Muslim
Abstract: Did he know about childhood blasphemy?
On Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI baptized Magdi Allam an Egyptian-born Muslim journalist who is deputy director of Italy's oldest newspaper Corriere Della Sera.
The service was televised and widely reported among news services which did not hesitate to describe Allam as "Italy's most prominent Muslim".
Allam is a strong supporter of Israel (he was once called a "Muslim Zionist" by an Israeli newspaper) and has lived under police protection since death threats were made against him for criticizing Iran's position on Israel.
Allam is also quick to acknowledge that he has not been a particularly observant Muslim: "I was never practicing, I never prayed five times a day, facing Mecca. I never fasted during Ramadan."
He also admitted that as a child he had once received Communion "even though I knew it was an act of blasphemy, not having been baptized."
Cardinal Giovanni Re commented, "Conversion is a private matter, a personal thing and we hope that the baptism will not be interpreted negatively by Islam,"
