Mohammed HegazyMohammed Ahmed Hegazy (at right) is perhaps the most hated Christian in Egypt.  He has received numerous death threats because he is the country’s first convert from Islam to Christianity to sue for official recognition of his conversion.  He launched a legal action to force the government to change the religion recorded on his national identity card in accordance with his chosen faith.

Today the administrative court that has been hearing often-heated arguments in the case issued its conclusion: It refused to make a decision, in effect rejecting Mr Hegazy’s petition.  The reasons given seem bizarre.

[T]he Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo said that Hegazy, the country’s first former Muslim to sue Egypt over the issue, had not followed proper legal procedures. In addition, the court said, he could not convert "to an older religion."

"Monotheistic religions were sent by God in chronological order… As a result, it is unusual to go from the latest religion to the one that preceded it," the court added in a published statement. "The person who has such an attitude is straying from the right path and threatening the principles, values and precepts of Islam and of Egyptian traditions," the judgment said.

However, the same court today granted a favourable ruling to members of another minority religion.

Yet, the same court ruled that Egyptians from the Bahai minority could leave their religion blank on official documents, in effect restoring their access to jobs, schools and medical and financial services.
. . .
It was not immediately clear why the court did not give Hegazy the option to leave his religion blank on official documents.

The government has not said whether that ruling will be appealed to a higher court.

Earlier, Hegazy spoke about his reasons for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Hegazy converted to Christianity and took on the Christian name Beshoi, after a classmate left a book with quotations from the Bible on his desk. "I began to read the book and was consumed by the love of Jesus," he explained last year in interviews at a secret location. "The major issue for me was love. Islam wasn't promoting love as Christianity did."

When his wife became pregnant last year he decided to make the change official. "Otherwise my child will automatically be registered as a Muslim," he said in published remarks. However, his application was rejected.

Hegazy says he will appeal the non-decision to Egypt’s supreme court.

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