Muslims should be free to convert, says cardinal, after death threats

A leading cardinal has called on the Islamic world to allow individual Muslims "the freedom to convert" to Christianity, arguing that this does not threaten Islamic identity.

The baptism in Rome at Easter of Magdi Allam, an Egyptian-born Italian Muslim journalist, by Pope Benedict XVI, caused outrage in parts of the Muslim world. This week death threats to Mr Allam and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, were posted on a website said to be close to al-Qaeda.