Egypt Arrests Most Famous Christian Convert

Bishoy Armiya, Egypt’s most famous Christian convert from Islam, has been arrested by national security forces.

Armiya, formerly known as Mohammed Hegazy, had fought publicly to change his religion on his identification card. He and his family had been running for their lives after Muslim leaders pronounced a death sentence against him.

In a 2010 interview, he told CBN News he had been jailed and tortured by Egyptian state security agents who wanted him to return to Islam.

Now Mideast Christian News reports he’s been arrested again, this time for proselytizing.

“The defendant photographed military and police institutions, a Copt who was attacked by Muslim Brotherhood members, and Nazlet Ebeid and Badraman villages, where the defendant met with several Christian citizens. Security services tracked him down and were able to arrest him,” a security source told MCN.

While converting to Islam is considered the norm, Muslims who convert to Christianity risk prosecution or death at the hands of extremists.