The Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights » Positive Developments

Podcast: The religious minorities in Egypt after Jan. 25th

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:46:47 +0000

What’s like to belong to a religious minority in Egypt after January 25th? Will the long history of oppression get worsened or relieved? To better know, we’ve interviewed four young activists who represent a major portion of the religious minorities in Egypt; a Baha’i, an atheist, a secular, and a Christian, in quest for their opinions, reflections, thoughts, ideas, and hopes about the Egyptian people’s uprising which made the news for the last 2 consecutive months.

To better understand the situation, the listener has to put in mind that Egypt hosts two major religious institutions, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria established in the middle of the 1st century by Saint Mark the Evangelist, and Al-Azhar University founded in 970 A.D by the Fatimids as the first Islamic University in the world. Cairo has a unique cityscape with its ancient mosques, especially around the area of Old Cairo. Cairo is also known as the “city of a thousand minarets.”

Egypt’s “recognized” religions are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and more recently the “Dash religion,” which denotes the Baha’i faith according the the state. The Bahai’s of Egypt, who were granted their basic rights to issue an ID after uphill trials and long waiting years, still face a lot of problems though. You’re not allowed, by state, to believe in any other religion, or practise any other rites. Egypt is a predominantly Sunni Muslim country with Islam as the recognized state religion. The percentage of the adherents of various religions is a controversial topic in Egypt, with different sources citing different figures. According to public figures, around 90% are identified as Muslim “by birth or by I.D.,” however it’s nearly impossible to estimate accurate figures, because it’s considered “deadly” to announce a convert publicly. A significant number of Muslim Egyptians also follow native Sufi orders, and there is a minority of Shi’a. Islam plays a central role in the lives of most Egyptian Muslims, however the state of ambivalence is a wide trend in Egypt. The Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) is heard five times a day, and has the informal effect of regulating the pace of everything from business to media and entertainment. Cairo also comprises a significant number of church towers.

According to the current constitution of Egypt, until Saturday’s referendum, any new legislation must at least implicitly, but ambiguously, agree with Islamic law; however, the constitution bans political parties with a religious agenda, moreover the constitution is mostly secular, except for the personal status laws which are derived from Sharia Law.

Religious minorities face discrimination and marginalization on many levels. In terms of religious freedom, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life ranks Egypt as the fifth worst country in the world, after Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan and China. In addition, Egypt ranks among the 12 worst countries in the world in terms of religious violence against religious minorities and in terms of social hostilities against Christians in specific. Furthermore, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has placed Egypt on its watch list for religious freedom that requires close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the government.*

Listen to the podcast now or download it!

Mideast Youth Podcast: Broadcasting Ahead
Originally posted on MideastYouth.com by Ahmed Zidan

Sentence of the Iranian Baha’i leaders halved to ten years

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:19:40 +0000

RAHANA, a human rights organization in Iran, reported today that the Tehran Court of Appeals commuted the prison sentence of the seven Baha’i leaders from 20 years each to ten. While this is a positive development, the Baha’i leaders committed no crime and shouldn’t serve any time in prison.

On August 8th, the sentence of collective 140 years of imprisonment for the Baha’i seven was announced following a show-trial based on fictitious charges. The heavy sentence stunned the Baha’i community worldwide and their attorney, Shirin Ebadi. The charges brought against the Baha’i leaders included espionage, initiation and expansion of illegal organizations, collecting and transmitting classified information to foreigners in the aim of disrupting national security, holding illegal meetings to plot the actions against the security of the state and spreading corruption on earth.

The seven Baha’is are the members of “Friends of Iran” (Yaran Iran), a national-level coordinating group for the Baha’i community in Iran. Six of the group, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm, have been arrested in their home in Tehran on May 14, 2008. Mahvash Sabet was arrested on March 5, 2008 during a visit to Mashad. All official Baha’i governing bodies were disbanded in Iran in 1983.

July 11th is Baha’i Rights Day

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:45:34 +0000

For many months, we have been thinking about creating a day in which everyone can become aware of Baha’i human rights abuses. We approached our friends at Iran Press Watch with the idea and we agreed upon July 11 in order to mark Baha’i Rights Day, a day dedicated to support the human rights for members of the Baha’i faith.

We are working on developing content and more ideas to make this day as influential and effective as possible, however this is impossible without your help and participation.

How you can help:

Please inform your friends, family and colleagues that on July 11 they should tweet, blog, Facebook or create any material in support of Baha’i human rights everywhere, specifically in Iran where Baha’is have been severely persecuted against for the past 30 years.

Please use your influence to try and get as many journalists as possible to formally recognize this day and write about Baha’is in Iran or the remaining struggles of Baha’is in Egypt and other countries.

Please contact other bloggers and request that they dedicate at least that single day (July 11) to write about Baha’is and their rights.

Please tweet about it consistently on July 11 and use the #BahaiRights hashtag in order for people to locate. The idea is to make #BahaiRights a top trend on July 11.

If you are an artist, a website designer, a musician, or anyone with creative skills please create material in honor of this day and in the name of all the Baha’i victims around the world who suffered persecution and violent discrimination for decades.

Finally, you do not have to be a Baha’i to participate! Please make others aware of that. It does mean something that this day was created primarily by non-Baha’is who would like other non-Baha’is (especially Muslims) to recognize and act upon the abuse taking place in our name.

We rely on people like you to help make this day possible, despite the short notice. Please start spreading the word as much as possible through all your networks and mailing lists and let’s achieve this worldwide Baha’i Rights Day where we all unite regardless of our race or religion to support Baha’is everywhere!

Thank you.

People chanting “Baha’i, Baha’i we support you” in a demonostration in Iran

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:33:34 +0000

Aware of severe discrimination of the Baha’i minority in Iran, Iranian demonostrators show their support for Baha’is and other persecuted religious minorities, by chanting supportive words such as “Baha’i, Baha’i we support you” shown in this video below:

These are brave, courageous souls representing the future of Iran, where all minorities are embraced and given equal rights regardless of their ethnic or religious differences.

A Report on the First Nationwide Forum on the Right to Education

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:34:15 +0000

The Committee on the Right to Education for the Baha’is, founded by the legendary Human Rights Activists in Iran, held 2 simultaneous forums in Tehran and Shiraz. Below is their report:

This unprecedented forum was held today in Tehran. The pictures of student prisoners on display punctuated the importance of this meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Niloufar Mehrabi, who opened the session with remarks on the right to education and the importance of its implementation.

The first speaker, Mr. Abolfazl Abedini, the head of public relations of the Association, recounted the executive activities of the Association and the various functions of its committees. He specifically named publication of books, monthly newsletters, educational workshops, legal support for victims of violation of human rights, and an international presence and reporting on the issue of human rights as the most prominent activities of the Association. He also mentioned the burden of costs that has been imposed on the Association for its activities and noted that the resilience of the Association despite the costs demonstrates its resolve and commitment to the rule of law.

The second speaker, Mr. Hessam Missaghi, a member of the Committee on the Right to Education for the Bahá’ís, introduced his Committee, its history, and its mission statement. He stated that one of the missions of the committee is consolidating its activities in addressing the deprivation of large numbers of Bahá’í young men and women from the right to education. Mr. Missaghi further elucidated the need for unity amongst various student organizations and noted that the Committee he represents serves as a bridge between students whose right to education has been violated and human rights organizations. Another mission of the Committee, he continued, is collection of statistics on the students who are currently deprived of their right to higher education.

Mr. Missaghi, who has been deprived of higher education, requested other activists in the forum to continue to write articles on this matter and assist the committee with their active reporting and follow-up.

The next speaker was Dr. Nemat Ahmadi, attorney and university professor, who received an ovation from the crowd upon standing at the podium. Dr. Ahmadi began his remarks with an expression of disappointment as an educator to learn that there are students, who, on the basis of their religious affiliation, are deprived of access to education. He further continued that such course of action is in stark contrast to the Iranian Constitution. He noted that Article 9 of the Iranian Civil Law clearly states that the International Covenants to which Iran is a signatory must be observed. He also noted the third chapter of the Constitution with Articles 15 through 43 that point to individual rights and liberties and consider the right to education as universal. He recounted his memories that as a student he had been involved in significant activism and since the university was considered as an independent entity, his activities never led to his suspension or violation of his rights as a student.

He quoted an Islamic tradition stating, “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.” He interpreted this statement that anyone who desires to obtain an education has the right to do so.

He continued that even if the authorities who deny the right to education believe that their subjects are “infidels,” according to Islam, there is distinction between “infidels by birth” and “infidels by will.” As such, people who are born into families who may be considered as “infidels” may not carry the burden of sin. As an example, he stated that if he were born in a different country, he may well be a follower of a different religion. This, he said, cannot be grounds for denying anyone their right to education.

Dr. Ahmadi considered this matter very simple within the framework of Islamic beliefs and stated that any country has certain obligations to its citizens that must be honored. This human rights activist closed his speech with the hope of a future in which no one would be deprived of education on the basis of his or her beliefs. He speech roused the audience to cheers.

The chairwoman, Ms. Mehrabi, then invited Salman Sima, a student activist from Azad University, to take the podium.

At the outset, Salman Sima expressed his astonishment at the numbers of students who are denied their right to education on the basis of their beliefs. In his belief, deprivation from education is equivalent to execution or denial of life. This student activist recounted the trend of deprivation at Azad University dating back six years and stated that many students had been suspended. He also quoted the Constitution and international covenants and noted that the right to education is inalienable. He also noted that the passing of the bill on affirmative action on the basis of gender is another example of deprivation from education. He concluded his speech stating, “The right to education for a student is as the right to life for a human.”

Next, Holaku Rahmanian, a student deprived of education on the basis of his belief in the Bahá’í Faith and despite his extraordinary performance in the national entrance examination, was invited to the podium. He recited the letters recounting his difficulties in obtaining admission into any university and noted the obstables that led to his eventual denial of admission. He stated that the authorities told him that his religion was the reason for this denial.

The editor-in-chief of the Association, Behzad Mehrani, took the microphone next at the request of the chairwoman. He began is speech noting his sense of relief that unlike the past decades when the right to life for the Bahá’ís was in question, the discourse is now focused on their right to education. This activist performed a cursory review of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights as a feature of the modern world. He characterizes the modern human as one with wisdom and freedom of choice and the traditional human as one who is bound by customs. He noted that in the modern world, a human is respected solely on the basis of being a human. He concluded by stating that no power should have the permission to deny anyone the right to education.

The next speaker was Saghar Miri, a student deprived of education. She reviewed the historic background of the Bahá’ís denial of education after the Islamic revolution and then reviewed the events in 2007 that led to a few admissions for Bahá’í students. As one of these students, she had been admitted into the Bachelor’s degree program in English interpretation at Shahr-e-Noor University. Howeverm after three months of enrollment, she was denied the right to continue her education. She expressed her gratitude to the association for its efforts in reclaiming the right to education.

The next speaker was Mr. Towfigh, a university professor, who rejected the notion that anyone should have his civil rights in jeopardy on the basis of affiliation with a philosophy or an unrecognized religion. He reviewed the articles of law that support his statements. He also noted that even within Islamic jurisprudence the right to education is considered inalienable and the act of silencing of beliefs itself constitutes deprivation from education. He expressed the need to revise the current policies and procedures for admissions offices that lead to deprivation of education for students as they are in contrast with the Constitution.

The last speaker of the forum was Mehdi Khodai, a student activist in charge of the Student Affairs Division of the Association. He recited the Association’s closing statement and concluded by saying, “We hope that this forum will open the door for future forums and the expansion of its focus to defending human rights of all Iranian citizens.”

Mehdi Khodai continued, “The Association of the Human Rights Activists in Iran expresses its grave concern regarding the authorities’ use of invented laws and policies that are contrary to the Constitution and international covenants to which the Islamic Republic is a signatory. The Association is hopeful that such gross violations of human rights will cease in the future and that all groups and ethnicities will enjoy all their inalienable human rights.”

At the conclusion of the forum, a book entitled “An Introduction to Removal of All Types of Discrimination Against Women” was distributed amongst the audience.

Reactions to the favourable verdict in Egypt

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:12:27 +0000

Blogs and news outlets soon reacted to the news of the favourable verdict granted to the Baha’is of Egypt. Listed below are highlights of the coverage by Baha’is:

Photo credit: Dr. Basma Moussa

Wafa Hindi, aunt of the of the teenaged twins Nancy and Imad, hailed the verdict as a “victory for the values of citizenship against hatred and intolerance”.

It is a triumph for the true values inherent in all Egyptians against lies and hypocrisy, and marks a bright record for the Egyptian judiciary.

Shady Samir was finally able to let out a sigh of relief:

Finally, I will have the right to live as a citizen in my country. This was a heavy nightmare that lasted for six long years. Congratulations to all the citizens of Egypt.

Dr. Basma Moussa, a prominent activist for Baha’i rights in Egypt, thanked all those who stood by the Baha’is during their ordeal:

I thank the lawyers Labib Moawad, Hossam Bahgat and Adel Ramadan from the “Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights” for their adoption of the Baha’i case. And I thank all human rights organizations, activists bloggers and writers who defended the civil rights of Baha’is in websites, and to all magazines and newspapers who gave Egyptian Baha’is a space to air their grievances and clear the bad image that was painted on Baha’is.

I also thank the court, headed by Judge Ibrahim Al Sagheer and Egypt’s just judicial system for establishing a ruling that would pose as a new beginning for social justice. The ruling also affirmed what the Baha’is have stated three years ago: that the case is concerned with granting Baha’is equal civil rights, and is not a demand for recognition of the Baha’i Faith.

Finally, thanks are also due to the Ministry of Interior for its decision not to appeal the verdict, and we now request it implement the ruling, not only for those involved in the case, but for all of Egypt’s Baha’is.

Baha’is worldwide shared the joy of their Egyptian brothers and sisters, and in a statement to the Baha’i World News Service, Bani Dugal (representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations) said:

“We are pleased that the court has finally put this matter to rest, removing any possible excuse that would prevent the government from issuing official documents to Egyptian Baha’is,”

“Our expectation now is that the government will move swiftly to bring this ruling into practice and, at long last, grant Baha’is the essential right that all citizens have of possessing proper documents.”

In the press release by the Egyptian Initiaive for Personal Rights, Executive Director Hossam Bahgat explains that the ruling’s significance extends beyond the Baha’is of Egypt:

The significance of today’s decision goes far beyond the direct remedy it provides for hundreds of Baha’i Egyptians who have been the immediate victims of this arbitrary and discriminatory government policy. This final ruling is a major victory for all Egyptians fighting for a state where all citizens must enjoy equal rights regardless of their religion or belief.

Victory for justice in Egypt

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:45:06 +0000

After a long and arduous battle, the Baha’is of Egypt were finally accorded the justice they deserve. Bilo, from the “Baha’i Faith in Egypt” blog informs us that the Egyptian Supreme Court has rejected the appeal launched by Islamist lawyers against the the ruling which permitted Baha’is to obtain official documents with a dash (-) listed under the mandatory “Religion” field.

With this ruling, all legal challenges and appeals, brought by those extremists who oppose the Baha’is in Egypt, have been defeated in court. The Ministry of Interior, the principal party to the lawsuits, has never challenged or appealed the ruling that favored the Baha’is.

With this final verdict, there are no legal or administrative obstacles left that could prevent the Baha’is of Egypt from obtaining ID cards or birth certificates in their homeland.

Without ID cards, Egyptian Baha’is were denied access to basic civil rights and faced the following problems:

They couldn’t move freely within Egypt [as those found without ID cards are subject to imprisonment]
They couldn’t certify their marriage certificates
They couldn’t obtain passports
They couldn’t perform any bank transactions
They couldn’t carry out transactions in traffic departments
They couldn’t enrol their children in schools or universities
Their children couldn’t clarify their position concerning conscription
They couldn’t apply for jobs or obtain work permits
They were denied health care
They couldn’t buy, sell, or own property

We will be brining you more coverage and reactions to the ruling within Egypt as the news comes in.

But in this joyous day, let us not forget the Baha’is in Iran, who continue to face severe violations against their rights.

Another favourable verdict in Egypt

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:22:22 +0000

Just like the twins Nancy and Raouf Hindi, Baha’i student Hussein Hosni was handed a favourable ruling on the 29th of January, 2008, allowing him to obtain identification papers with a dash listed in the mandatory “Religion” field. And similarly, the positive verdict Hosni received was soon challenged by a lawyer.

But we’re pleased to announce that the challenge was rejected, and Hosni’s right to obtain identification papers was affirmed.

However, the ruling will not be implemented as the Supreme Administrative Court has yet to issue a verdict on a separate appeal that was launched against the January 29 ruling.

Favourable verdict for Egyptian student

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:30:13 +0000

To pursue higher education, youth in Egypt are required to annually request a postponement for conscription from the Ministry of Defence. Securing a postponement requires National ID cards, and as Baha’is in Egypt are still denied their right to identification papers, tens of Baha’i youth are prevented from continuing their education.

Yesterday, Dr. Basma Moussa, an Egyptian Baha’i activist, wrote to update us on the case of university student Nabil Al Hamamsy. In 2007, a court had ruled that he should be allowed to resume his education, but the ruling was challenge by the Ministry of Defence.

However, the challenge was rejected, but implementation of the ruling may be hindered by an appeal launched by the Ministry of Defence.

Open apology featured on CNN

Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:24:11 +0000

At the moment, one of the most popular stories on CNN is on none other than the public apology by Iranian intellectuals to the Baha’i minority of Iran.

A group of Iranian intellectuals released a public apology this week for what they say is a long history of the country’s mistreatment of a religious group called the Baha’i.

The apology — titled, “We are ashamed” — was published on the Web site Iranian.com and was signed by 42 Iranian professionals, all of whom do not live in Iran.

“As Iranian human beings, we are ashamed for what has been perpetrated upon the Baha’is in the last century and a half in Iran,” the letter says.

In the letter, the group detailed incidents of violence and discrimination that it says the Iranian government has perpetrated against the Baha’i.

The Islamic republic has been condemned by human-rights activists and governments across the globe for its treatment of the Baha’i.

The Baha’i movement has said that six of its followers were arrested in January in Tehran, including one who works with Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, the lawyer and activist. Seven leaders of the group arrested in 2008 also remain in jail.

Members of Baha’i — who think they are targeted in the predominantly Shiite nation because of their faith — have faced arrests and other oppression over the years.

They say the persecution is part of a pattern that began in 1979. That’s when the monarchy of the Shah of Iran was toppled and an Islamic republic was created.

The Baha’i — regarded as the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran — say they have 5 million members across the globe and about 300,000 in Iran.

The European Parliament passed a resolution in January that criticized Iran’s treatment of the Baha’i. The U.S. State Department also criticized Iran’s treatment of the Baha’i in a report last year.

The translation is now available in 5 languages, which would hopefully guarantee wider circulation by media outlets. Governments tend to perpetuate the belief that their persecution of minorities is in accordance with the will of the majority. But it’s time for the noble objectors to be given a voice.