Pope Benedict baptizes prominent Italian Muslim

This news got some press today:

Italy's most prominent Muslim commentator converted to Roman Catholicism on Saturday during the Vatican's Easter vigil service presided over by the pope.

An Egyptian-born, non-practicing Muslim, Magdi Allam has infuriated some fellow Muslims with his criticism of extremism and support for Israel.

The deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Allam often writes on Muslim and Arab affairs.

...

There is no overarching Muslim law on conversion. But under a widespread interpretation of Islamic legal doctrine, converting from Islam is apostasy and punishable by death -- though killings are rare.

CNN has video.

The AP's original coverage had a more dramatic opening sentence:

Italy's most prominent Muslim, an iconoclastic writer who condemned Islamic extremism and defended Israel, converted to Catholicism Saturday in a baptism by the pope at a Vatican Easter service.

I don't think the Vatican is trying to make any sort of political or religious "statement" in choosing this individual for baptism, as much as the press would like to see it in those terms.

Comments?

[photo: Dario Pignatelli/Reuters]