By Essam Fadl / Special to Daily News Egypt
First Published: February 1, 2010

CAIRO: The lawyer of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity sent a memo to the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in a bid to urge the Egyptian government to allow him to change his religious affiliation on official documents.

Ashraf Edward Kirolos called on the OHCHR to intervene in the case of Mohamed Ahmed Hegazy, who converted to Christianity and sought legal action to have his religious affiliation recognized on his national ID card and other official documents.

Kirolos’ memo urged the organization to pressure the Egyptian government into honoring its pledges and international commitments with regards to religious freedom, namely when it comes to converts to Christianity.

“While the government facilitates the conversion from Christianity to Islam, it refuses to recognize citizens who choose to convert from Islam to Christianity, which is a double standard and a violation of citizens’ rights and religious freedom,” the memo read.

Kirolos will hold a press conference on Tuesday to explain the reasons behind escalating the case. He told Daily News Egypt that he will also reveal other pathways through which he will escalate the case on an international level.

“We escalated the case in coordination with international human rights organizations and consultation offices because there wasn’t any progress on the local level,” Kirolos said.

Hegazy, 26, who changed his name to Bishoy Armia Boules, filed a lawsuit demanding that his religious affiliation be changed on his national ID card and other official documents, causing a stir among human rights and religious organizations.

He married a Muslim girl who also converted and changed her name from Zeinab to Christine.

In a phone interview with Daily News Egypt, Hegazy said that they decided to escalate the case after he lost hope in getting a court verdict in his favor.

“I cannot lead a double life anymore. While I practice Christianity and go to church, I am still a Muslim on official documents,” he said, adding that he has not been able to lead a normal life because constant death threats force him and his wife to remain in hiding.