A set of Bahaai twins have become the first Egyptians to receive ID cards which leave the religious affiliation slot blank, reports Gamal Nkrumah Imad and Nancy Raouf Hindi have become the first Egyptian Bahaais to be granted national identity (ID) cards that do not identify the holder's religious affiliation. The irony is that the twins obtained birth certificates recognising their Bahaai faith when they were born 15 years ago. Three years ago Egyptian citizens were required by law to obtain computerised national ID cards. The computer system, though, locks out those unfortunate enough not to belong to one of the three state- recognised monotheistic religions -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism. "We are monotheists and we believe in Mohamed, Jesus and Moses as prophets. But we also believe Bahaaullah is a prophet too, which is why we are prevented from practising our religion in peace and barred from participating in social and economic activities. Yet discrimination against Bahaais contravenes articles 2 and 40 of the Egyptian constitution which guarantee freedom of citizenship regardless of religious affiliation and belief," Basma Moussa, a Bahaai spokeswoman and oral surgery professor at Cairo University, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "The legal case of Imad and Nancy set a precedent and it is a step forward, but Egypt's Bahaai community still faces tremendous problems. I am struggling to get a passport for my 21-year-old son Ali so that he can travel abroad like his Muslim and Christian classmates and friends. He is currently serving at a Ramadan charity for children in need organised by a five- star hotel. If his employers found out he was a Bahaai he would get into big trouble. We live in constant fear of publicly declaring our faith," says Moussa. Bahaais claim that Al-Azhar, the country's highest Islamic authority, issued a "secret memorandum denouncing Bahaaism" and the media constantly declares Bahaais to be agents of Zionism and imperialism. "This is antithetical to Islam. In Islam there is no compulsion in religion," points out Moussa. She is heartened that in March this year the Supreme Administrative Court ruled to leave the religious slot on national ID cards blank for Bahaais. The same court had earlier reversed a ruling by a lower court in favour of Bahaais in December 2006, the same year in which Hussein Hosni Bakhit Abdel-Massih, a Bahaai in his mid-20s, was suspended from the Suez Canal University's Higher Institute of Social Work because of his Bahaai faith. "The latest ruling is a landmark. Like the case of the twins Imad and Nancy it set a happy precedent. However, as Bahaais we face many battles on all fronts." Al-Azhar, Moussa says, issued a certificate stating that she was apostate which set her colleagues at university against her, a witch hunt ensued and her tenure was delayed for several years. Egypt is a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. "It is therefore obliged to respect the rights of Bahaais -- their freedom of expression and their right to full citizenship rights," notes Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. "The bias against Bahaais might be because of misunderstood Israeli connections," says Bahgat. The headquarters and shrine of Bahaaullah, who founded the Bahaai faith in 1863 in Iran, happens to be located in the Israeli port city of Haifa. This has been a bone of contention between Bahaais and Muslims, with the latter accusing Bahaais of conspiring with Israel to undermine Muslim interests. New York-based Human Rights Watch, in conjunction with the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), recently released a 98-page document entitled Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Practices. The report prompted a debate in the media and among civil rights groups on the sensitive subject of religious affiliation and its consequences. Bahgat notes that discriminatory practices against Bahaais contravene important tenets of Egyptian law. Sadly, though, that law is increasingly being subjected to arbitrary interpretation by officials at the Ministry of Interior. Egyptians without national IDs forfeit the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks. Transactions at banks, property transfers, acquiring a drivers' licence or cashing a pension cheque all require an ID card. Employers, in both public and private sectors, cannot hire an Egyptian who does not have a national ID, nor can academic institutions admit students. "Having an ID is essential in all areas of public life," says Moussa. The lack of ID cards restricts access by Bahaais to employment, education, medical and financial services. Recent developments are encouraging, if tentative. The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo has ruled in favour of two lawsuits concerning Bahaais wishing to leave the religious affiliation slot blank on their ID cards and other official documents. A birth certificate is necessary to obtain a marriage licence or a passport. Bahaais, though, are caught in a double bind since the authorities do not recognise Bahaai marriage ceremonies and hence any offspring are technically not entitled to have their birth registered. In addition, Bahaais complain that Ministry of Health officials refuse to provide immunisation for their children in the absence of birth certificates. In practice many Egyptian Bahaais are forced to lie about their religion, claiming to be either Muslim or Christian. This, too, places them on the wrong side of the law and leaves them open to criminal prosecution. "It is a viscous circle and it is nightmarish. We see no end to this darkest of tunnels," Moussa laments. "Yet we still dream of enjoying full citizenship rights, like other Egyptians."
