While there are some clear parallels between Mr. Allam and Mr. Rusdhie, these comparisons are not entirely congruent. While Rushdie is considered an apostate by many Muslims and Muslim governments, he has not made a formal and public declaration of his apostasy like Mr. Allam. Through his works including “Viva Israele!”, and his unabated criticism of radical Islam, Mr. Allam had already been painted by traditionalists and Islamists with the “blasphemy” and “intellectual apostasy” brush. Mr. Allam’s formal declaration of “apostasy” makes him an innate apostate according to Islamic law, and therefore severely exacerbates his already tenuous relationship with the traditional Muslim world. Mr. Allam’s conversion will be treated with greater invective among Muslims because of its public nature and linkages to the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict. In other words, the situation of Mr. Allam is likely to be more dire than that of Mr. Rushdie. In traditionalist and Islamist eyes, Mr. Allam is likely to be perceived as far more “dangerous” than Rushdie. http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.aspx?GUID=DE6EB71F-FD76-4D72-94C8-539C712BAE7A
http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article1833378/Ich_weiss_gegen_was_ich_antrete.html