Author:
Publication: Zenit.org
Date: March 7, 2001
When Jasmine first arrived in Egypt,
the authorities were immediately suspicious about her surname.
Her surname was Arabic, but her
documents specified her as Catholic. Could she be an apostate? The question
was investigated by the police in the passport office.
Though British by nationality, Jasmine's
problem is increasingly common.
Her story is detailed in "Catecumeni
provenienti dall'Islam" (Catechumens Converting From Islam), a book just
published by an Italian bishops' commission explaining the risks and challenges
that Muslims face if they convert -- even if they have been living in Europe
for many years.
The volume, published by Edizioni
Paoline, was prepared by a team led by Walther Ruspi, who heads the bishops'
conference's National Service for Catechumens in Italy. The study is the
translation and adaptation to the Italian context of the experience of
French bishops in this field.
In France, 12,000 adults ask for
baptism every year. Of these, between 300 and 400 convert from Islam.
A study carried out in 50 Italian
dioceses revealed that every year 800 people (some of whom are Muslims),
residing especially in Sicily and the urban areas of Milan and Rome, prepare
for baptism. Most are Albanian and Asian, though some also come from the
Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco).
The choice is a dangerous one because
in many Muslim nations, apostasy is regarded as a crime, which in some
cases is punished by death, as in Sudan, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia.
By way of example, the book tells
the story of Jasmine, the British national who was stopped in Egypt. Her
father is an Indian Muslim, and her mother an African. In Islam, religion
is transmitted through the paternal line. No one can avoid being a Muslim
if he is a member of a Muslim family. In case of apostasy, the risk of
vengeance and punishment is always possible in any part of the world.
Jasmine, a nurse, became a Catholic
through friends in London. She was attracted by Jesus and his promise to
save all, men and women alike, who are equal in dignity and value, in his
sight. She was also attracted to the idea of service to the weakest.
After years of reflection, which
lasted throughout her adolescence, she decided to tell her family. Her
parents hit and insulted her: "No one can renounce Islam! Shame on you,
unfaithful!" they said. However, Jasmine was determined and she began to
go attend the local parish.
News of her conversion spread in
London's Muslim community. Muslim compatriots of her father and relatives
began to threaten the family and exert pressure on Jasmine to return to
Islam: to repent for her sin and ask for pardon publicly.
Jasmine defended her right to choose.
Her words seemed blasphemous to her family. Her father, who could not bear
the humiliation before other Indian Muslims in the United Kingdom, abandoned
the family and left home. Alone, mother and daughter and younger siblings
were exposed for a time to the threats and persecution of the Muslim Indian
community, until they were forced to move.
Eventually, Jasmine realized her
dream to become a missionary, and went to work as a nurse in a Cairo hospital,
caring primarily for the poor and African refugees. However, every time
she travels abroad, she must face police questioning when she returns to
Egypt.
