Dr Hamid Siddique – a researcher at the National Research Center in Egypt – filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Interior before the Administrative Court, and demanding the Minister to cease issuing ID cards to Baha’is. He further demanded that all those who were issued ID cards with a dash “-” listed in the religion field should have their Egyptian nationality withdrawn.

Separately, Islamic preacher Yousef Al-Badri and 20 lawyers filed a report against the activist Dr. Basma Moussa and Ahmed Abu Al Ela, a Baha’i from Shoraniya.

Moussa and Abul-Ela are accused of practicing banned rituals in public and using religion to promote destructive, deviant and aberrant ideas that violate the basic characteristics of Egyptian society, harm security and stability and disdain the heavenly religions, according to the report.

[..]

Sheikh el-Badri’s report said there is a big difference between the freedom of belief stated in the Constitution, even if it is a deviant faith, and the practicing of rituals, which must observe public order and ethics.

Islamic scholars have unanimously agreed that Baha’ism is apostate from Islam and it is forbidden to join it, believe in it, or permit it to build institutions or associations to practice its rituals freely, said the report. It added Baha’is must be tried as their faith violates Allah’s laws.

El-Badri said Moussa and Abul-Ela must be tried under Article 98 of the Criminal Law which punishes with 6 months to 5 years and a fine of LE 500 – LE 1000 whomever uses religion to promote, say or write in whatever way about deviant ideas in order to spark off sedition or disdain the heavenly religions or their followers or to harm national unity.