Imam Pallavicini explained:  If Allam truly was compelled by a strong spiritual inspiration, perhaps it would have been better to do it delicately, maybe with a priest from Viterbo where he lives. The Spanish daily "El País" criticized Allam's opinions and wondered whether Allam's conversion deserves so much attention:  This intellectual doesn't mince his words when it comes to flaying Islam. And he is not entirely wrong when he refers to terrorist fanaticism and the lack of freedom in countries where Islam is professed. He is probably however going a bit far when he says that the 'root of evil is an inherent part of Islam, which is physiologically violent'. It is not the Muslim world as a whole that defends violence or seeks to impose its religion by force. We shouldn't however play down the courage that Magdi Allam has shown by daring to say such things that way and we also have to recognise his right to convert to Christianity. We can nonetheless ask whether it was necessary for his baptism to have been carried out by the Pope himself in the Vatican. Some criticized the publicity given to the conversion, thus questioning his sincerity and even suggesting a politically motivated apostasy. On 25 March 2013, he publicly announced his abandonment of the Catholic Church to protest its "soft stance against Islam". Allam said he would remain a Christian but that he didn't "believe in the church anymore." He joined politics in 2009, being elected as a Member of the European Parliament (in June 2009) with the center-right Christian-democrat Italian party UDC. He also founded a personal movement called ""Io Amo L'Italia"" (I love Italy). However, as a Member of the European Parliament he is still a member of the UDC delegation in the EP (EPP party group). During most of his journalistic career (roughly from 1978 to 2003), Allam worked at the center-left leaning and moderate "La Repubblica". As he was often employed as a Middle East envoy, most of his articles were reportage more than commentaries, characterized by a neutral tone and argumentative style, and his personal views were rarely reported. His own stances were nevertheless made public via a forum on "La Repubblica" and in numerous interviews and appearances on talk shows. For a long time, he maintained the position that Islam was compatible with Western civilization and values and he tried to build and believe in a progressive, moderate and liberal Islam. In a meeting with high school students broadcast on Italian public television RAI, he declared:  Islam itself is not a menace, it does not coincide with conservatism, as a religion is not incompatible with progress and freedom; absolutely not!