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Egyptian State Council Gets Advice From Islamic Scholars On Copts Reconverting

By Howard Friedman

Courts in Egypt have increasingly faced requests for new identification documents from Coptic Christians who have initially converted to Islam and then have reconverted to Christianity. Counselor Moataz Kamel Morsi, Deputy Chairman of the State Council, asked Egypt's top religious body, the fatwa committee at Al Azhar, for guidance. Yesterday Al Arabiya reported that the fatwa issued in response says that the decision to convert to Islam should not be retractable, and re-converting is "a grave crime that cannot be met with leniency." It concludes that offenders should first be given a chance to "repent", but if they do not they should be punished according to Sharia. Some scholars say Islamic law prescribes no specific punishment for apostasy, while others say it is punishable by death.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 21, 2008 (boomark / email).