We have 3 cases [to be presented] in court. The first case concerns a Muslim grandfather who wants to take a child 6 years from his Baha’i family because of their religion. The 2nd and 3rd cases are explained in more detail below.
Court Decisions on Baha’i Egyptians Postponed to 30 October The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo decided to postpone to 30 October its decisions on two lawsuits addressing the rights of Baha’i Egyptians to basic identity documents and education.
The first lawsuit (no. 18354/58) involves the 14-year-old twins Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi who remain unable to obtain the new computer-generated birth certificates unless they convert to Islam or Christianity. The father of the two children had obtained birth certificates for them when they were first born in 1993 recognizing their Baha’i religious affiliation, but new certificates carrying the national number (raqam qawmi) are mandatory and Baha’i children are unable to enroll in public schools without them.
In December 2006, the Supreme Administrative Court considered a similar lawsuit and found that the state had the right to deny Baha’i Egyptians identity documents recognizing their Baha’i religious affiliation. Accordingly, last January the lawyers of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) modified the requested remedies in the Hindi case so that the issue currently before the Court of Administrative Justice is whether Baha’i Egyptians have a right to obtain documents without any religious affiliation and without being forced to falsely identify as Muslim or Christian.
The second lawsuit (no. 12780/61) was filed by the EIPR last February on behalf of Hussein Hosni Abdel-Massih, born in 1989, who was suspended from the Suez Canal University’s Higher Institute of Social Work due to his inability to obtain an identity card recognizing his Baha’i faith. Baha’i students in post-secondary education often face suspension or expulsion because of their failure to obtain ID cards or military service postponement papers.
The Egyptian government has a legal obligation to protect citizens from religious discrimination and coercion under the Constitution as well as international and regional treaties it ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The government is also obliged to protect the right to education without distinction on any basis, including religion or belief, under the African Charter, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child
With loving Baha’i greeting,
Dr Basma Moussa
The Baha’is of Egypt certainly have our support and prayers.
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Anonymous
28 October, 2007
While the court keeps postponing its decisions, Egyptian Baha’is are under civil paralysis! How can a Baha’i obtain a driver’s license, buy a car, rent an apartment, buy an apartment, obtain a job, enroll his / her kids in public schools, obtain a marriage certificate, a birth certificate, open a bank account, sell a car, travel, receive a pension, open a bank account, or even die?
The court’s procrastination is in violation of the civil rights of Egyptian citizens. I hope that the courts would focus on the issues of civil rights and not on theological opinions about the right to worship.
The world is watching! Let us hope that the Egyptian government comes to its senses and respects its citizens regardless of their religious beliefs.
Anonymous
31 October, 2007
Procrastination of the court is again displayed in an uncaring manner that an entire group of people have to continue waiting due to the postponement of the related cases. They wait while they are deprived of all their rights of citizenship and normal life! The untold hardships deserve restitution by Egypt to all and every Baha’i who lost their wealth, pensions, rental agreement, driver’s license, birth certificate, jobs, property, education, health care in addition to the daily humiliation in not being able to complete normal transactions! Egypt must also bring those responsible for these crimes against humanity to justice. The special treatment the Baha’is are facing now in Egypt are reminiscent of Nazi Germany. The courts’ procrastination is evidence that the government does not want the courts to rule in favor of the Baha’is to restore their birth right as Egyptian citizens!
Mohamed
1 November, 2007
Any Bahai , please listen to me..
You are Bahai that mean what for you?
Why most of the muslims or christians only change to be Bahai?
Why we didn’t listen about Jews converted ?
Islam is the last Religion from Allah..ALlah who create the earth, the sky ,the man ,the animal, the plant, and every thing in this world.
It is very strange that the European;who are very scientific and fair said that the prophet Mohamed is the best in this world and evry one of you denied that.
If you are fair with yourself, as you studied Bahai well ,I am asking you to study islam well and open your heart to the real islam.
Nadim
1 November, 2007
Dear Mohamed,
Thank you for sharing what is in your heart! If the heart is pure it is destined to find the answers to the most vexing questions!
I am a Baha’i of Christian ancestory. My father had a large tattooed cross on his arm until his death. When he became a Baha’i, he had to accept the Prophet Mohamed, PBUH, as a Divine Messenger from God. As a result of being a Baha’i he came to love and believe in the Holy Koran. As you know, Baha’is accept the Prophet Muhamed, PBUH, along with Moses and Christ as Divine Messengers of God.
A Baha’i does not abandon his beliefs in Moses, if he were a Jew, in Jesus, if he were Christian, or in Mohamed, if he were a Muslim. In fact, he wholeheartedly embraces all the messengers of God their spiritual teachings. It is only the social teachings that change from one dispensation to another.
All Baha’is worldwide do accept the truth of Islam, the divinity of the Prophet Mohamed, PBUH, and of the revealed Holy Koran.
smile rose
12 November, 2007
thanks friends for sharing me my problem & tomorrow 13-11-2007 will be important of theses cases infront court . today human right watch with EIHR published their report about freedom of beleive in Egypt