Baha'i Faith in EgyptBaha'i Faith in EgyptExamines the civil and human rights crisis facing the Baha'is of Egypt Articles
Egypt's NCHR Releases its Annual Report on Human Rights
2008-03-31 23:22:00 Egypt's National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), the government-appointed human rights organization, has just released its fourth annual report and recommendations to Egypt's government.Among the many recommendations, it requested that it is important for the government to allow the entry of "Baha'i" as one of the choices in the religion field on ID cards.The announcement of the report was published today in Egypt's official national newspaper Al-Akhbar [The News] in its edition, dated 31 March 2008.Dr. Ahmed Kamal Abul-Magd, Vice-President of the Council was quoted in this article as he elaborated on several issues related to the status of human rights in Egypt. More About: Human Rights , Report , Annual
Cairo's Baha'is Celebrate in a Park
2008-03-29 19:24:00 In an unprecedented coverage, one of Egypt's major newspapers reported in its front page on some of the Baha'is of Cairo celebrating their new year in one of the city's parks.Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, in its 27 March 2008 issue, published an article on the Baha'is celebrating the end of their annual fast and the advent of their new year on the 21st of March. The article was accompanied by a photograph of the group of families gathered in Maryland public park of Cairo. A follow-up article addressing the misleading subtitle was published here on 29 March.The newspaper reported that the Baha'is were free to celebrate and that the celebration was not interfered with by the state security. It also mentioned that during the celebration, called Naw Ruz, they read from their Holy Book, after which each family returns to its home and resume its usual devotions.Baha'is in the Park (Cairo, 21 March)The following paragraphs regarding the Baha'i Fast are quoted from the website of the ... More About: Celebrate
Cairo's Baha'is Celebrate in a Park
2008-03-29 19:24:00 In an unprecedented coverage, one of Egypt's major newspapers reported in its front page on some of the Baha'is of Cairo celebrating their new year in one of the city's parks.Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, in its 27 March 2008 issue, published an article on the Baha'is celebrating the end of their annual fast and the advent of their new year on the 21st of March. The article was accompanied by a photograph of the group of families gathered in Maryland public park of Cairo. A follow-up article addressing the misleading subtitle was published here on 29 March.The newspaper reported that the Baha'is were free to celebrate and that the celebration was not interfered with by the state security. It also mentioned that during the celebration, called Naw Ruz, they read from their Holy Book, after which each family returns to its home and resume its usual devotions.Baha'is in the Park (Cairo, 21 March)The following paragraphs regarding the Baha'i Fast are quoted from the website of the ... More About: Celebrate
Egyptian Baha'i Student on TV
2008-03-23 22:19:00 You may watch Cairo's TV program which was referred to in the previous post regarding the Egyptian Baha'i student (Kholoud), who was ultimately allowed to sit for her high school final exams. The program's title is "the Egyptian Street."Her case is being presented and defended by a prominent Egyptian journalist, Mr. Nabil Omar, who is the vice-president of Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper. Mr. Omar is not a Baha'i.Section (1)Section (2) More About: Student
Egyptian Baha'i Student on TV
2008-03-23 22:19:00 You may watch Cairo's TV program which was referred to in the previous post regarding the Egyptian Baha'i student (Kholoud), who was ultimately allowed to sit for her high school final exams. The program's title is "the Egyptian Street."Her case is being presented and defended by a prominent Egyptian journalist, Mr. Nabil Omar, who is the vice-president of Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper. Mr. Omar is not a Baha'i.Section (1)Section (2) More About: Student
Egypt's Ministry of Education Allows Baha'i Student into Exams
2008-03-21 21:03:00 As the Baha'is of the world celebrate today the end of their yearly "fast" and the advent of their new year, the case of Kholoud, the young Egyptian student who was--because of belonging to the Baha'i religion--prevented from registering for her exams by the head of "Examination Control" in Cairo, captured the outrage of the Ministry of Education as well as the public opinion in Egypt.As a result, Egypt's Ministry of Education overruled the administrator's decision and allowed Kholoud admission to the examination process for graduation from high school. Dr. Rida Abou Sareeyh, First Deputy Minister of Education, confirmed the right of Kholoud to admission to the examination. And that the initial decision to deprive Kholoud of her right to the exam had neither legal nor procedural basis.Kholoud during a TV interview (Cairo)Kholoud's colleagues in her school were also outraged by the decision of the "head of control" describing his behavior as "prejudiced." The entire student body... More About: Student , Exams
Egypt: a Student Denied Entry to Exams Because of Her Religion
2008-03-16 23:44:00 The Egypt ian newspaper Al-Badeel reported today on a high school student who was prevented from sitting for her final graduating examinations simply because of being a Baha'i.Kholoud Hafez Abdou is a 17 years old Egyptian student who, like all other students in her stage of education, must sit for the final exams that allow her to graduate from high school and enter university education.Student s are required to enter their religion on the application form necessary for admission to the examination. Based on the documentation in her birth certificate, Kholoud entered "Baha'i." The high school system's admissions administrator located in the central office rejected her application because she entered "Baha'i" and prevented her from sitting for her final exams.Kholuod was even willing to be examined in "Islam" under the subject of "religion." However, when the administrator was informed of such by the student's father, the administrator simply stated: "if you are not a Muslim, I h... More About: Religion , Exams , Entry
Decree-263 and the Persecution of Egyptian Baha'is (Part-3)
2008-03-16 01:48:00 In the previous two episodes, posted here and here, the impact of Presidential Decree-263 on the Baha'is of Egypt was reviewed. In this post, cited from the Baha'i International Community, one of the primary intentions of the decree was meant to incite hatred against the Baha'is, harass them and and inflame public opinion towards them. Future episodes will illustrate some concrete examples of the consequences of such strategy.Incitement to HatredAlthough Egypt's secular Government is not formally bound by traditional Islamic law under the Constitution, it has nevertheless apparently paid close attention to the fatwas issued by the Islamic hierarchy.Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (al-Azhar, Cairo, Egypt)The source of many of the fatwas and statements against the Bahá'ís is the Islamic Research Academy at Al-Azhar Unversity, which, as noted, issued the 15 December 2003 fatwa, along with numerous others. Often containing a profuse amount of erroneous information about the hi... More About: Persecution , Part , Part 3 , Egyptian
Egypt 2008: US Releases its Annual Human Rights Report
2008-03-13 07:27:00 The condition of the Baha'is of Egypt was extensively covered again in the annual report of the US State Department on human rights around the world.The report, released on 11 March 2008, covers developments occurring in the previous year.The following sections were specific to the condition of the Baha'is of Egypt.Under the section on "Freedom of Religion" the report stated:The constitution provides for freedom of belief and the practice of religious rites; however, the government restricted the exercise of these rights. According to the constitution, Islam is the official state religion and Shari'a (Islamic law) the primary source of legislation. Religious practices that conflict with the government's interpretation of Shari'a are prohibited. Members of non-Muslim religious minorities officially recognized by the government generally worshiped without harassment and maintained links with coreligionists in other countries. Members of religions that are not recognized by the go... More About: Human , Rights , Human Rights , Report
Decree-263 and the Persecution of Egyptian Baha'is (Part-2)
2008-03-05 23:08:00 This series on Decree 263 and its impact on the rights of the Baha'is of Egypt began in this previous post. The entire report is cited from a publication by the Baha'i International Community on the persecution of this religious minority in Egypt. Pictures are added by the author of this blog.The Decree and International LawBy any moral standard, the Decree is unfair and unjust. The principles of the Bahá'í Faith stress obedience to duly constituted governments, and the Bahá'ís of Egypt, in keeping with the teachings of their Faith, do not and have never become involved in partisan politics. They are committed to non-violence. They desire only to be recognized as full citizens of their country, actively promoting the progress and advancement of Egyptian society at large. The persecution and discrimination they face comes only because of their religious beliefs. Baha'is of Alexandria, Egypt (circa 1940)In theory, the Egyptian Constitution upholds freedom of religious belief.... More About: Persecution , Part
Annual Baha'i Fast is Now
2008-03-04 23:24:00 Bahá'í Prayer for the Fast in Arabic, chanted by the youth of Shiraz. Please click on the player above or here....For more information on the fast, please click here.... More About: Annual
Decree-263 and the Persecution of Egyptian Baha'is (Part-1)
2008-03-02 21:56:00 The Baha'is of Egypt were enjoying a relative degree of freedom until 1960 when the late president Gamal Abdel Nasser issued Decree 263 that brought much suffering to them in the years to come. The following account, cited from the Baha'i International Community report, describes in full details the effects, consequences and implications of Decree-263. The photographs are added by the author of this blog.President Nasser (circa 1960)History of the Persecution of the Bahá’ís of EgyptAlthough it faced periodic episodes of religious discrimination through the early half of the 20th century, the Bahá'í community of Egypt's greatest challenge came in 1960, when President Gamal Abdul Nasser issued a decree dissolving all Bahá'í assemblies, banning Bahá'í activities, and confiscating all Bahá'í properties. The Decree remains in effect and is the underlying source of the Bahá'í community's oppression today.Designated as Presidential Decree 263, the proclamation came w... More About: Part , Egyptian
Is the World Ready for a Repeat?
2008-02-24 22:41:00 Below are: 1) anti-semitic graffiti on a shop in Berlin, Germany in 1933, 2) & 3) anti-Baha'i graffiti in Isfahan, Iran in 2008, stating "death to baha'ism."Credit (1): Holocaust Memorial MuseumCredit (2) & (3): Baha'i Blogfa More About: World , The World , Ready
Ongoing Dialogue: Status of the Baha'i Religion in Egypt
2008-02-23 00:04:00 Egyptian and Middle Eastern media continue to examine the recent court verdicts that permitted some of the Baha'is of Egypt to obtain ID cards and birth certificates. They also address the general status of the Baha'is of Egypt as a religious minority in a modern society. The scope of these articles extends beyond the mere description of the court ruling itself, but rather carefully examines other essential elements regarding Egypt's need to come to terms with the fact that the Baha'i religion is one of the established religions worldwide.For example, these articles are now addressing the roots of the current crisis, dating back to Nasser's Presidential Decree (263) of 1960 that outlawed the Baha'i religion in Egypt, confiscated all Baha'i properties, dissolved Baha'i institutions and arrested many leading Baha'is. The question of the official recognition of the Baha'i religion in Egypt is being openly discussed and arguments in its favor are put forward.One of the headli... More About: Religion , Egypt , Status , Dialogue
The Economist Examines Egypt's Emerging Religious Freedom
2008-02-15 23:33:00 The Economist , a weekly leading British newspaper with extensive worldwide readership has published yesterday an article about the recent developments affecting the pressing issue of religious freedom in Egypt.It focused on the recent court rulings regarding the Baha'is of Egypt as well as Egyptian citizens who had converted from Islam to Christianity. Both religious minorities have been facing enormous barriers to their civil rights prior to these recent court verdicts that allowed them to be recognized as citizens, even though in the case of the Baha'is the ruling fell short of recognizing the legitimacy of their religion in Egypt.In view of the recent opinion of Cairo's Court of Administrative Justice, it should be clearly pointed out that the Baha'i religion is recognized globally as an independent divinely-ordained religion. Additionally, the Baha'i International Community (BIC) is permanently represented in the United Nations along with other prominent non-governmental o... More About: Freedom , Religious , The Economist
Iran's Draft Penal Code: A Clear Danger to Human Rights
2008-02-12 05:25:00 The Assyrian International News Agency has recently posted a report on Iran's draft penal code intended to entirely delegitimize its Baha'i population. Baha'is in Iran are the largest religious minority.The report is titled: Iran Draft Law Proposes Death Penalty for Religious ConversionIt begins with the following introduction:Washington -- The Iranian Parliament is reviewing a draft penal code that for the first time in Iranian history legislates the death penalty for apostasy. The draft clearly violates Iran's commitments under the International Covenants on Human Rights , to which the State is party. Read more here....Additionally, the European Union has just released the following declaration addressing the current critical situation of the large Baha'i population of Iran:Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the deteriorating situation of the religious minority Baha’i in IranThe EU expresses its serious concern at the worsening situation of ethn... More About: Human Rights , Code
Egypt: Extensive Media Reaction to the Verdict on Baha'i Rights
2008-02-05 04:39:00 Several news outlets reported on the recent verdict that placed the Egypt ian Baha'is in a position to obtain ID cards, birth certificates and other official documents.Some reports were in Egyptian newspapers while others were in international newspapers and websites as shown in previous posts and in this one as well.Several international articles were published in Arabic as linked to at the end of this post. Among the recent publications was an article written by Mr. Gamal Nkrumah in Al-Ahram Weekly, which is the English version of Egypt's daily semi-official newspaper. On three previous occasions, Mr. Nkrumah had courageously written on the Baha'i case as was posted here, here and here. His coverage has been objective, balanced, well-informed and accurate.Below is the complete transcript of his current article:A question of faithGamal Nkrumah sounds out rights activists' reactions to a new court ruling this week that no longer denies Bahaais essential identity documents________... More About: Media , Rights , Verdict , Reaction
Egypt: Television Coverage of Verdict Allowing Baha'is ID Cards
2008-02-01 12:36:00 The following is some of the television news coverage on 29 January 2008 immediately after the announcement of the verdict by Cairo's Court of Administrative Justice which allowed the Baha'is to obtain birth certificates and ID cards without forcing them to enter one of the three recognized religions in Egypt (Islam, Christianity & Judaism).With this verdict, as one can watch the judge explaining in the courtroom, the Baha'is cannot enter their religion either, but can leave that section of official documents vacant, enter a dash (-) or enter "other." Therefore Baha'is can obtain ID cards and other official documents without being forced to lie about their religious affiliation. Consequently, Baha'is in Egypt will be in a position to enjoy all their citizenship rights such as employment, health care and education.Without ID cards, Egyptian citizens would face "civic death," thus the government has no options but to fulfill its obligations to its own citizens by allowing the... More About: Television , Cards , Verdict , Coverage
While Al-Azhar Supports Egypt's Court Ruling on Baha'is, Ministry of Interi
2008-01-31 16:10:00 In a statement published in today's (31 January 2008) edition of Cairo's Rose al-Yousef newspaper, Al-Azhar , represented by its Islamic Research Council, expressed its support of the 29 January court ruling that allowed the two Baha'i litigants to be issued birth certificates and ID cards with no religious classification entered in the required section of these documents.The statement indicated that the members of the council affirmed that the Administrative Court ruling allowing these Baha'is to leave the religion section vacant or to enter the word "other" does not violate the prior decision of the Islamic Research Council in which it did not recognize the Baha'i Faith.The article further explains, "Member of the Council, Dr. Muhammad El-Shahaat El-Gendy, clarified that the ruling is in agreement with the decision of the Islamic Research Council because the ruling did not recognize the Baha'i Faith as a congregation, a societal, political or religious entity."On the other ha... More About: Ministry , Ruling
Egypt's Court Ruling on Baha'i Rights: Published Verdict Unveils Possible D
2008-01-30 07:43:00 According to today's edition of Al-Ahram semiofficial Egyptian newspaper and the government's mouthpiece, yesterday's court ruling allowing the two Baha'i litigants to obtain birth certificates and ID cards without religious classification did state the following: The Baha'i [Faith] is not a religion, and that divine religions are three [namely] Islam, Judaism and Christianity, and they are the only ones allowed in the religion section [of ID cards/birth certificates]. The court affirmed that only those Baha'is who were wrongly issued ID cards, birth certificates or official documents with "Baha'i" entered in the religion section, are allowed the issue of documents "without" [religion] or with a dash (-) entered [in place of religion]. Any other Baha'is do not have the right to obtain documents "without" [religious classification in place of one of the specified religions] or with a dash (-) [instead of religion].If this is true, it appears that it would be the first public ... More About: Rights , Published , Verdict , Court , Ruling
Victory for Human Rights in Egypt: Baha'is Can Have ID Cards & Birth Ce
2008-01-29 11:20:00 At last...happy faces in the courtroomCairo's Court of Administrative Justice has just ruled now in favor of the Egypt ian Baha'is, allowing them to obtain identification documents and birth certificates. The verdict opens the door for the Egyptian Baha'is to leave the religious classification section blank (enter dashes or "other") on all identification documents and other official documents including birth certificates, according to the court's ruling. The final choice between these allowed options will be determined later. In effect, the Egyptian Baha'is will now be able to enjoy all their rights of citizenship in their homeland.This particular verdict involves the case of the 14-year-old twin children, Emad and Nancy Raouf Hindi who, until this date, were without Egyptian birth certificates. It also involves the case of the 18-year-old university student, Hussein Hosni Bakhit Abdel-Massih, who was dismissed from the university consequent to his inability to obtain a military... More About: Victory , Human , Rights , Human Rights
Egypt's Baha'is Mentioned in the British Parliament
2008-01-28 02:08:00 Photo by Deryc Sands © Parliament ary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of ParliamentBarney Leith posted in his blog "Barnabas quotidianus" on a recent significant debate in the British Parliament. The case of the Egyptian Baha'is was brought-up in relation to the Foreign Affairs Committee's Eighth report of 2006-07 Parliamentary session on global security in the middle east. During the session of 25 January 2008, Bob Spink MP of Castle Point said the following:Again, I congratulate the Committee on this excellent report on a difficult matter. I shall speak on a narrow subject. In chapter 5 of the report, on Egypt, I note that the part entitled “Human Rights and Democratisation” does not address a certain issue. I understand the Committee’s difficulty in visiting every point on human rights, but minority rights in Egypt are important, and I wish to flag them up. The inception of a new system of computerised ID cards in Egypt compelled its citizens to identi...
Egypt: Court Postopnes Baha'i Cases for Sixth Time
2008-01-22 13:30:00 The Baha'i cases in Cairo's Court of Administrative Justice were postponed again today for an anticipated verdict during the 29 January 2008 court session. This is the sixth postponement for these two cases. The last postponement was announced at the 25 December 2007 court session.Interestingly the court's clerk called the cases this time with the label "El-Baha'eiyyah" [the Baha'i] rather than using the names of the plaintiffs as it had been the case in the past. For background information on these cases, please refer to this previous post. More About: Egypt , Time , Cases
European Parliament Resolution on Egypt's Human Rights Situation
2008-01-18 12:07:00 The European Parliament has just passed a resolution on the situation of human rights in Egypt. The resolution is quite critical of Egypt's record on human rights and cites specific examples such as the one regarding religious minorities, including the Baha'is. It states that they "are still sadly crippled by sectarian isolation."The resolution also affirms that it "Recognises the role that Egypt plays in the Middle East peace process and the importance that EU-Egypt relations have for the entire Euro-Mediterranean area, but points out that respect for human rights is a fundamental value of the EU-Egypt Association Agreement and reaffirms the importance of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for promoting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms...."Furthermore, the European Parliament "Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Egyptian Government and Parliament, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Mediterranean ... More About: Human , Rights , Human Rights
Egypt and ID Cards: Exclusion by Classification!
2008-01-16 03:10:00 In its most recent edition, the Cairo weekly "Watany" newspaper published a comprehensive article on the current status of the Baha'is of Egypt . The article is titled "Bahai’s: a case of civic death."Watany newspaper describes itself as follows: "Watani is an Egyptian weekly Sunday newspaper published in Cairo. The word Watani is Arabic for “My Homeland”. The paper was founded in 1958 by the prominent Copt Antoun Sidhom (1915 – 1995), who strove for the establishment of a civil, democratic society in Egypt, where all Egyptians would enjoy full citizenship rights regardless of their religious denomination. This remains Watani’s objective to this day, leaning neither left nor right on the political level, but following its own clear course in the press field. Those in charge of Watani view this role as a patriotic all-Egyptian vocation, especially following the increasing marginalisation of the Coptic role, issues and culture within the Egyptian society over the past half c... More About: Cards , ID Card
Current Status of ID Cards in Egypt: Five Million Pending!
2008-01-12 00:52:00 The use of old paper ID cards was due to be terminated by the end of December 2007. However, according to an article published on 5 January 2008 in Egypt 's semi-official newspaper, Al-Ahram, the use of paper ID cards had to be extended beyond the set deadline for their elimination. The reason given for this postponement is that there remains five million Egyptian citizens without the new national ID number and the computerized ID card.The article states that 43 million ID cards were issued. The new project also requires that citizens under the age of sixteen must be issued new birth certificates with a national ID number. There were 42 million citizens who were issued the new computerized birth certificates and national number. Additionally, State Security sources indicated that 25 thousand ID cards were issued to Egyptians living abroad.The article points to the fact that because of the 5 million pending ID cards, the deadline for the use of old paper documents was extended. It ex... More About: Current , Status , Cards , Million
Egypt: 2008 Begins With Media Enlightenment
2008-01-05 18:18:00 On the second of January, Al-Ahaly Egypt ian newspaper published an extensive coverage of the struggle of the Baha'is of Egypt. The article, written by Omnia Talal, began with the title: "The Baha'is in Egypt...A Minority Without Identity."The article introduced the subject by stating that "Al-Ahaly opened the Baha'i dossier." It described the teachings and status of the Baha'i Faith as an independent religion, it spoke of its history in the region, it reviewed previously published articles, it published interviews with Egyptian Baha'is, and it described clearly their dilemma by presenting well their case.Some of the other titles used in the article include: "The charge is...Baha'i! The judgement is...no birth...no vaccination...no treatment...and even no pension!" Another title states: "A senior Baha'i, Amin Batah, told Al-Ahaly...we will not seek outside influence...and we want our rights calmly."Other titles, based on the interview with Amin Batah, which were accompanied wi... More About: Media , Enlightenment , 2008
An Eventful Year in Egypt: Religion Vs. Citizenship!
2007-12-30 04:40:00 In wrapping up the year's events and its significant developments, Al-Ahram Weekly, the English version of Egypt 's semi-official newspaper, published an extensive article authored by several writers and under various titles. The main article carries the title "All's not well on the domestic front." One of the article's sections, with the heading "Much to be modest about," was written by one of Al-Ahram's most-respected editors, Mr. Gamal Nkrumah, who addresses the pressing issues of citizenship and religious freedom.He begins by stating: MUDDLED expectations, more openness on religious freedoms and the correlation between religion and civil rights were defining features of 2007. Perhaps one of the most determining characteristics of 2007 is not so much the manner in which religion generally has had an ever-increasing impact on public life. Rather, it is that the entire question of religious affiliation and the precise nature of its correlation to citizenship and civil rights h... More About: Religion , Year , Eventful
Another Year Passes With No Solution for Egypt's ID Crisis
2007-12-26 17:56:00 International Herald Tribune's "Daily News Egypt", the country's only independent English-language daily, has just published a story regarding yesterday's postponement of the two cases involving Egyptian Baha'is who are attempting to obtain their basic civil rights. Because of "Internet Explorer" incompatibility with the newspaper's website, the entire article is re-posted below:BAHAI TRIAL POSTPONED FOR THE FIFTH TIMEBy Alexandra SandelsFirst Published: December 25, 2007CAIRO: The Cairo Court of Administrative Justice postponed Tuesday its verdict in the two Bahai trials to Jan. 22, citing “continuing case deliberations.”Postponed for the fifth time in a row, the verdict would determine whether Bahais could obtain official documents without affiliating themselves to a religion different than their own.Many members from the Bahai community along with journalists and activists turned up for the session, which many believed would deliver the final decision.“I’m disappoint... More About: Crisis , Year , Solution
Cairo: Court Postpones Baha'i Cases Again!
More articles from this author:2007-12-25 13:36:00 The two Baha'i cases before Cairo 's Court of Administrative Justice, involving the twin children's request for birth certificates and the university student's dismissal & demand for ID card, got postponed again today--in a very swift session--for a ruling until 22 January 2008.Television news court interviews: More About: Cases 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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