▁and ▁legal ▁case ▁H eg azy ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Port ▁Sa id ▁on ▁the ▁S uez ▁Canal ▁in ▁Egypt . ▁ ▁Con version ▁He ▁converted ▁to ▁Co ptic ▁Orth odox ▁Christian ity ▁from ▁Islam ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁name ▁Bes ho y ▁() ▁after ▁an ▁Co ptic ▁mon k . ▁ ▁His ▁wife , ▁Um ▁Hash im ▁Kam el , ▁also ▁converted ▁several ▁years ▁ago , ▁taking ▁the ▁name ▁Christ ine ▁( ). ▁They ▁both ▁have ▁a ▁daughter , ▁Mi ri am ▁who ▁was ▁born ▁while ▁in ▁hiding . ▁He ▁reports ▁that ▁he ▁converted ▁after ▁starting ▁" read ings ▁and ▁compar ative ▁studies ▁in ▁relig ions " ▁finding ▁that ▁he ▁was , ▁" not ▁consistent ▁with ▁Islam ic ▁teach ings ." ▁He ▁claimed ▁that ▁" the ▁major ▁issue ▁for ▁me ▁was ▁love . ▁Islam ▁wasn ' t ▁prom oting ▁love ▁as ▁Christian ity ▁did ." ▁ ▁Although ▁Christian ity ▁is ▁legal ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁apost asy ▁from ▁Islam , ▁or ▁leaving ▁it , ▁is ▁pun ish able ▁by ▁death ▁under ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁interpretation ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁law , ▁but ▁the ▁state ▁has ▁never ▁ordered ▁or ▁carried ▁out ▁an ▁execution . ▁The oret ically , ▁Egypt ian ▁law ▁must ▁be ▁derived ▁from ▁Islam ic ▁law , ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁r uling ▁several ▁dec ades ▁ago . ▁Con ver ts ▁are ▁often ▁har ass ed ▁by ▁police , ▁who ▁use ▁laws ▁against , ▁" ins ult ing ▁religion " ▁or ▁" dist urb ing ▁public ▁order "