Egypt: No ID Card = You Are Fired!

Early Casualties: The Firing of Baha'is Without IDs Began

Among several articles regarding the recent court verdict concerning the Baha'is, published on 23 December 2006 in Egypt's Sawt al-Umma [Voice of the nation] newspaper, was this one regarding a young Egyptian man who was fired from his university teaching position simply because, as a Baha'i, he was unable to obtain the new national number ID Card.

Bassem Wagdy Nassif is a 24 year old physics junior faculty member recently hired by one of Cairo's universities. He graduated from Cairo's Ein-Shams University with honours and was one of the top three graduates of his class. He had a very promising career as a university professor of physics. He had just begun his academic career when he was hired by the German University in Cairo as a junior teacher of physics. When it was time for him to receive his first salary cheque, he was required by the university to open a bank account in order for his employer to deposit his salary installments.

When he went to the bank he was refused to open a bank account because the bank would only accept the new computerised national ID cards, and not the old paper ones which expire on 31 December 2006. His efforts to explain to the bank his inability to obtain the new ID card because of being a Baha'i fell on deaf ears.

As he was so disappointed, having been deprived of his first earned salary of which he was so proud, he approached his university employer in his attempts to find a solution to his problem. The university administration, considering his circumstances, finally agreed to hand him a cheque based on his old paper ID card.

A month later he was surprised with his sudden firing from the university based on the order of the Ministry of Higher Education under whose authority the university operates. Subsequently, this intelligent and promising young man found himself with no employment and of no use to a country that had already invested so much in educating him for the purpose of serving and advancing his society.

His only "fault" is that he was born into a Baha'i family. Children born into Baha'i families have the freedom to choose their religion by age 15, at that age after having been exposed to the teachings of the Baha'i Faith as well as other religions, these youth are supposed to be mature enough to make their choice of religious denomination they would want to adopt. As many other youth end up doing, this young man has decided to remain in the Baha'i Faith despite all the obstacles anticipated in his path by living in the Egyptian society.

This case represents a flagrant violation of human rights and all forms of decency. The reason given for his firing cannot be justified.

The facts are: He is a law abiding Egyptian citizen, he is highly educated, he is one of the brightest young minds in the Egyptian society, he holds the highest moral and ethical standards, he has not deviated a hair from any regulation, he was formally hired by a university who had known his religious affiliation, he was refused to acquire the new computerised ID Card because he would not lie about his religion on official documents. He was then fired as a result of the orders of the Ministry of Higher Education, a government agency parallel to another government agency who had refused him an ID Card, namely the Ministry of Interior.

There is no humanly possible justification for such an act, and this Ministry who claims to uphold the standards of learning and public education, has failed its citizens by acting in direct opposition to the standards of enlightenment it is charged with promoting.

This is a perfect example of how a misguided segment of society can fold on itself and an example of a civilization depriving itself of its own promising bright minds. With such acts, the ultimate loser will be Egypt!