He reports that he converted after starting "readings and comparative studies in religions" finding that he was, "not consistent with Islamic teachings."
Converts are often harassed by police, who use laws against "insulting religion" or "disturbing public order" to justify legal action against them.
In 2001, he published a book of poems critical of security services and was held for three months for sedition, disturbing public order, and insulting the president and was eventually released without charge.
[1][2][3] In 2007, Hegazy sued the Egyptian court to change his religion from "Islam" to "Christianity" on his national identification card.
[1][2][3] His first lawyer, Mamdouh Nakhlah filed the case, but then quit after Hegazy's conversion caused a major uproar.
Nakhlah told the Associated Press that he initially accepted the case because of an editorial last month by one of Egypt's highest Islamic clerics, the Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, who wrote against the killing of apostates, saying there is no worldly retribution for Muslims who abandon their religion.
Sheikh Gad al-Ibrahim told Al-Quds al-Arabi that "the Egyptian government should find Mohammed Hegazy and apply shari'a, giving him three days to reconvert and then killing him if he refuses".
[1][2][3][4] However, shari'a is enshrined as the basis of Egypt's legal code in Article 2 of the constitution, and many Muslims see no distinction between apostasy and subversion.
[1][2][3][4] Hegazy raised a storm of controversy when pictures of him posing for journalists with a poster of the Virgin Mary were published in the newspapers.
In a 2008 interview to a local Egyptian newspaper, Hegazy's father said, "I am going to try to talk to my son and convince him to return to Islam.
A Canadian non-governmental organisation applying for legal recognition with the Egyptian government in June 2007, MICA was involved in several controversial human rights cases.
[4] According to their lawyer, Peter Ramses Al-Nagar, the main reason for Faltas and Ezzat's detention was their work with Hegazy.
Faltas had conducted a high-profile Internet interview with Mohammed Hegazy only days before his arrest, sparking claims in Egyptian media that he had led the Muslim to Christianity.
[4] During a telephone interview with an Egyptian talk show, Fawzy said that Islamic scholars had accused his organisation of converting Hegazy to Christianity.
"[4] In February, 2008, an Egyptian judge, Muhammad Husseini of a court in Cairo ruled that a Muslim who converted to Christianity cannot legally change his religious status, although he may believe what he wants in his heart.