As the open letter from the Baha'is of Egypt, calling for a national conversation about the future of their country, begins to generate widespread interest, similar discussions among Egyptians 100 years ago have been vividly brought to life in a new book. In Abbas Effendi – recently released by Al-Kamel publishers in Beirut – University of Maryland Professor Suheil Bushrui explores in particular the contribution made by 'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas Effendi, eldest son of Baha'u'llah.
In a contribution to the sweeping changes now under way in their society, Egyptian Baha'is are calling for a far-reaching consultative process about their country's future. In an unprecedented open letter, the Baha'is of Egypt say the nation must look beyond expedient solutions and existing models in other societies, and seek instead "a new, truly progressive approach." Read the open letter here.
Two young Baha'is at the center of a court case over religious identification on government documents have received new computerized ID cards showing a "dash" instead of their religion. Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi received the new cards on 8 August 2009. They are the first such cards to be issued following a ruling by the Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court that cleared the way for the government to issue documents without reference to religious identity.
Egypt’s Ministry of Interior this week published a decree that allows individuals to obtain government documents without identifying themselves as belonging to a particular religion. The decree is the result of a recent Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court ruling – in a case involving Baha’is – that on government ID cards and other documents, individuals may put a dash in the field denoting religious affiliation.
A court in Egypt today removed any grounds for preventing Baha'is from receiving proper official identity documents, clearing the way for an end to years of deprivation for Egyptian Baha'is - and opening the door to a new level of respect for religious privacy in Egypt
In a victory for religious freedom, a lower administrative court here today ruled in favor of two lawsuits that sought to resolve the government's contradictory policy on religious affiliation and identification papers. The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo upheld arguments made in two cases concerning Baha'is who have sought to restore their full citizenship rights by asking that they be allowed to leave the religious affiliation field blank on official documents.
Court hearings on two lawsuits filed by Baha'is over the government's policy on religious affiliation and national identity papers have been continued until 22 January 2008. The two cases, the first by the father of twin children who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them and the second by a college student who needs a national identity card to re-enroll in university, had been set for "final judgment" by the Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo today.
A court is expected to rule early next week on two cases related to the government's policy on religious affiliation and national identity papers, an issue that has been hotly debated here in recent months and a focus of international human rights concerns. The first case involves a lawsuit by the father of twin children, who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them. The second concerns a college student, who needs a national identity card to re-enroll in university.
Egypt should end discriminatory practices that prevent Baha'is and others from listing their true religion on government documents, said Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights in a major report released this week
The Universal House of Justice, the highest governing body of the Baha'i Faith, has addressed a message to the Baha'is of Egypt in the wake of a 16 December Supreme Administrative Court decision in Cairo that upheld a discriminatory government policy regarding the Baha'is and their identification cards. The policy places the Baha'is in the untenable position of either having to make a false statement about their religious beliefs or give up their state identification cards.