Today (14 April) the Egyptian law gazette published a Ministerial decree announcing that from tomorrow anyone who doesn’t belong to one of Egypt’s three official religions (Islam, Judaism, Christianity) can obtain official documents, such as birth certificates or ID cards, with a dash in the space for religion.
This is a triumph for the civil rights of many Egyptian citizens, including the Baha’is. The decree is a legal instrument and people applying for official documents are not required to go through the courts.
Off the horns of a legal dilemma
Baha’is will neither deny nor lie about their religious affiliation. Before this decree was published, Baha’is were placed in an impossible situation by the Egyptian government. Egyptian citizens are legally required to carry an ID card and cannot access a wide range of public services without the card. Those applying for the ID card (and other official documents) have to state their religion. However, the government computer system would allow only three choices of religious identity – Muslim, Christian or Jew.
Under these circumstances Baha’is were forced either to deny their religion or break the law. Both options were abhorrent for the Baha’is.
The Baha’is in Egypt have been fighting for years to be allowed to put a dash in the space for religion on official documents or to leave the space blank. Appeals to high levels in the government, campaigning alongside Egyptian human rights organizations, and a long drawn-out battle through the administrative court system have finally resulted in this best possible result.
At long last! Thank God!
Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Egypt, ID cards, religious affiliation
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G’day Barney,
That is really good news, re: rejection of the appeal.
It certainly is great news for Baha’is and many other Egyptian citizens.
Dear Barney: Thank you for sending me this wonderful news. I’m forwarding it to every one I can think of. By the way, I was delighted to see, among the pictures of your friends, that of Peter Adriance. I have known him for many years. I introduced him to a friend of my daughter’s, and it was long before they were married. Peter established a solid relationship with the American Indians of Connecticut. Among my happiest memories is of the Pow-wow he encouraged them to put on. All the volunteers were Baha’is to take admission miney at the gate, clean up the area as fast as it got littered, and participate in the drum-beating and dancing. It was glorious! Howard
Correction: …it was NOT long before…
Hi, Howard, it’s great that you are sharing the wonderful news. Many thanks for spreading it around.
I’ve known Peter since we met at Habitat II, the UN conference on human settlements, in Istanbul in 1996. We both share an interest in sustainable development – as well as both being Baha’is, of course. Peter is such an interesting and unusual man. A treasure in this world.
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