Pope Benedict and Magdi Allam Uphold Freedom of Conscience in Italy!

Magdi Allam, a Muslim intellectual living in Italy, who is the assistant editor of Corriere della Sera, recently published, Viva Israele : dall’ideologia della morte alla civiltà della vita : la mia storia [“Long Live Israel – From the Ideology of Death to the Civilization of Life: My Story.”] The book’s title alone is enough to endanger Allam’s life—a life already threatened by the jihad terrorist organization Hamas which condemned  him to death in 2003, following his denunciation of Hamas’ murderous attacks on Israeli civilians.  

Explaining his decision to write the book, Allam stated,   

“Having been condemned to death, I have reflected a long time on the value of life. And I discovered that behind the origin of the ideology of hatred, violence and death is the discrimination against Israel. Everyone has the right to exist except for the Jewish state and its inhabitants…Today, Israel is the paradigm of the right to life.”  

Due to death threats against Allam, like those by Hamas, the Italian government already provides him with round-the-clock bodyguards. But Allam in a January, 2008 Haaretz interview despite having to “…live an armored life,”  insisted  “I’m willing to pay the price in order to continue to be who I am, to write and speak freely.” And  as revealed in this same interview, “Those who cut out tongues and slit throats will not subdue him, he writes in the book.”  

Well, on Easter Sunday, in perhaps the ultimate act of courageous defiance against those Muslims inclined to “cut out tongues and slit throats,” Magi Allam, will convert to Catholicism, and undergo a public baptism by Pope Benedict XVI at an Easter vigil, the Vatican announced today.