The Baha'is of Egypt have been subjected to persecution and systematic oppression. While their case has been evolving recently, with hopeful resolution on the horizon, the human rights of the Baha'is of Iran are increasingly & systematically violated by an extremist rule. Thus, while Egypt's case remains the main focus of this blog, there will only be occasional coverage on Iran since that case is being actively pursued on other sites and blogs specific to that subject.
The Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights named 11 July 2009 as the first "Baha'i Rights Day." On that day, the ad hoc group of seven Baha'is, who were attending to the minimal needs of Iran's largest religious minority, will face trial in Iran's Revolutionary Court. They were wrongly accused of a variety of false and absurd charges that include "spreading corruption on earth," punishable by death according to Iran's penal code. They have been incarcerated for over a year in Iran's notorious Evin prison without any access to legal defense. The banner accompanying this post was designed by the Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights.
. calling on the Iranian authorities to release the seven members of the Baha’i minority (naming them) whom Amnesty International considers to be prisoners of conscience held because of their beliefs or peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community; . calling on them to drop the charges against the seven, which Amnesty International consider as politically motivated; . expressing concern that if convicted of the charges they are said to be facing the seven could be sentenced to death; . calling on the authorities to ensure that the seven are protected from torture and other ill-treatment; . urging the authorities to ensure that the seven are given regular access to their families, lawyers of their choice and any medical treatment they may require.
The Bahais have long served as the proverbial canaries in the coal mine of Iran’s theocracy. Their persecution, as documented over nearly 30 years in numerous human rights reports, has contradicted all the näively hopeful predictions that the hard-line surface of Iran obscures a deeper wellspring of moderation and tolerance.
In 1983, the Iranian government banned all official Bahai activity. Deeming the faith an apostasy, Iran’s fundamentalist Shiite government has denied Bahais higher education, confiscated Bahai property, desecrated Bahai cemeteries and refused to recognize Bahai marriages....
In order to read the entire story, please follow this link....
Here is an award-winning video on the plight of the Baha'is of Iran. It was put together by Bobby Aazami and became the overall winner of a contest conducted by the external affairs office of the Bahá’ís of the United States.
In light of the video's context, one cannot help but contemplate the following poem by Martin Niemöller (1892–1984):
In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then... they came for me... And by that time there was no one left to speak up.
A spokesman for the Baha'i International Community was interviewed two days ago by the US National Public Radio (NPR). On its website, NPR writes the following:
Iran's Religious Minority Speaks Out On Elections Listen Now [5 min 26 sec]
June 18, 2009 · Members of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority, have long been discriminated against and persecuted by the Islamic Republic of Iran government. Farhad Sabetan, an official within the Baha'i faith community, offers a reaction to the recent elections.
This is an actual video recording from the opening remarks by the Chaplain of Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. These remarks were made during the graduation ceremonies, given seven times this year for a total graduating class of approximately 4,900 students. The Chaplain uses the words of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the Baha'i Faith--who had visited Montreal in August 1912--in her description of the beauty of diversity in these young graduates and of their hopes and dreams for a peaceful future.
Based on recent developments and reliable reports, the Egyptian Government should be acknowledged for its efforts in treating its Baha'i religious minority, as well as other minorities, with dignity and respect. Among several examples, related recently and reported by some Egyptian media outlets, Baha'is are increasingly being recognized for their positive role in their society and for being an integral part of its fabric.
As a first step in the Government's efforts to improve the civil rights status of the Baha'is of Egypt, the civil administrative authority is moving forward with granting the Baha'is their identification documents in an orderly manner. Naturally this process of ID issuance will take time to implement for all those concerned but, nevertheless, these efforts speak for the government's intentions and commitment to do the right thing for its minorities which have been oppressed in the not too distant past. As this path continues to be pursued, the Baha'is of Egypt are quite confident that Egypt will indeed come through with its promise for a happier and greater future for all its lawful citizens.
There are also clear signs that these efforts are genuine and are intended to move Egypt forward in its quest for moderation and tolerance. It would be indeed timely to express gratitude and respect for such a positive trend.
Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia expressed concern that seven Baha’i leaders who have been in prison for more than a year may face death on charges of “spreading of corruption on earth,” a capital offense in Iran. “Human dignity and freedom must not be made a sidebar as the Administration seeks to engage the Iranians,” Wolf said in his May 21, 2009 testimony. You can read the full statement here.
HON. FRANK R. WOLF OF VIRGINIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, May 21, 2009
Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, May 14 marked the one-year anniversary of the imprisonment of the seven member national committee of the Iranian Baha’is. According to CNN reports, the seven Baha’i leaders may now face charges of "spreading of corruption on Earth" which carries the threat of the death penalty under Iran’s penal code. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recently released their 2009 report which recommends that the State Department designate Iran a country of particular concern due to its gross violations of religious freedom. Such violations include the execution of over 200 Baha’i leaders since 1979, the desecration of Baha’i cemeteries and places of worship, and the violent arrest and harassment of members of the Baha’i faith. As the Administration seeks diplomatic engagement with Iran, I urge them to make human rights and religious freedom an integral part of the dialogue. Human dignity and freedom must not be made a sidebar as the Administration seeks to engage the Iranians.
All Egyptians are in a state of shock and grief over the untimely and unexpected death of the grandchild of President Hosni Mubarak. According to Al-Ahram Weekly, "twelve-year-old Mohamed, the child of Mubarak's eldest son 47-year-old Alaa, died suddenly on Monday."
The newspaper adds:
A presidency statement said that Mohamed died after a "two-day health crisis", while other reports elaborated that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage on Saturday and was flown to Paris for emergency treatment, where he died. On Tuesday the child's body was brought back to Egypt for burial. Before the funeral, the body was admitted to Al-Galaa Armed Forces Hospital where President Mubarak bid his eldest grandson farewell, since he was not to attend the funeral. Alaa has another son, Omar, who is six years old.
Our hearts go out to the President, to his son Alaa, and to the entire Mubarak family. The loss of a child is one of the most painful experiences anyone can endure. It is certain that all Egyptians share in mourning the loss of this beloved child and pray for the progress of his pure soul in the heavenly worlds of God.
We also pray to God to shower the Mubarak family with His grace, and to bestow upon the family strength and patience during this very difficult time.
The accompanying photographs of the President with his grandson, the funeral, and the President's sons Alaa and Gamal are courtesy of Al-Ahram Weekly. Please click on the picture in order to enlarge it.
The entire article can be accessed here.... You may also view a video of the funeral here....
More details regarding the retraction of a proposed parliamentary law criminalizing "Baha'i thought" in Egypt appeared in yesterday's edition of Egypt's Al-Youm Al-Sabe'h newspaper. These details clearly illustrate a progressive and enlightened trend in the Egyptian legislative branch of government.The following is not a word by word translation, but rather a synopsis of the newspaper story:
The released Parliamentary report was surprisingly contradictory to the recommendations of the Joint Commission on Defense, National Security, Arab Affairs and Religious Endowments, which considered in its meetings the call for an urgent law to "criminalize Baha'i thought." The newspaper reports that this reversal was a result of the expressed rejection by the Baha'is, followed by pressure exerted by the senior representatives of the ruling National Democratic Party to prevent the writing of such recommendation in the commission's report.
The article also mentions that of "great significance" is the fact that the new recommendations--reversing the proposed laws--carried "the opinions of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Parliamentary faction representatives who have been refusing the law criminalizing the Baha'is from the very start." They [MB] also requested that "the men of religion" as well as "scholars" must begin an open dialogue and discussions with Baha'is, pointing out the danger of dealing with this [Baha'i] congregation with "sticks...." [symbolic]
During these discussions, the senior parliamentary leadership had also requested that the Joint Commission review articles 2 and 40 of the Egyptian constitution regarding freedoms before falling into that grievous mistake, i.e. the previously proposed law.
Another important remark was made by Mr. Essam Mokhtar, a Muslim Brotherhood representative, who stated that the manner by which the Joint Commission had held its consultation on the Baha'i question had almost caused a real crisis, clarifying that "the Commission had become judgmental of the followers of the [Baha'i] thought without allowing a chance for discussions between religious scholars and the followers of that [Baha'i] thought...." He also affirmed that the principle of citizenship and the rights guaranteed to all citizens forbid parliamentary representatives from producing legislation that stand against human rights, otherwise this type of action could "turn everything upside down."
Assuming that these reports are indeed reflective of the recent events in the Egyptian Parliament, one can only conclude that these developments are truly representative of an enlightened phase in the recent history of that body. Additionally, the reaction of the Muslim Brotherhood representatives to this crisis deserves acknowledgment and respect.
The following is a TV program on Egypt's Nile Life Channel aired on 10 May 2009. The two program hosts have invited Dr. Mohammad Farahat, constitutional expert and Professor of Law at Cairo University, Mr. Adel Ramadan, attorney for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and Dr. Raouf Hindi, an Egyptian Baha'i who has been at the center of the litigations regarding identification documents for the Baha'is.
This program is by far the most well presented, civil and balanced presentation seen for quite some time in Egyptian media regarding this particular subject matter. It speaks for freedom of belief, constitutional guarantees for all Egyptian citizens, and the need to enforce the recent order by the Ministry of Interior to expeditiously grant Egyptian citizens who do not belong to one of the three recognized religions in Egypt identity documents with dashes (--) inserted in place of religion.
Mr. Ramadan expressed his optimism that the ruling will be enforced by the civil status department quite soon. Professor Farahat's comments clearly show the cultural dignity and the well-grounded arguments and views of a respected leading Egyptian scholar regarding the rights of citizenship and freedom of belief. This is indeed the Egypt I know....
A number of Middle Eastern news outlets reported last week that the Egyptian Parliament's Joint Commissionon Defense, National Security, Arab Affairs and Religious Endowments has demanded that the Egyptian Parliament expedite the issuance of "a new law criminalizing Baha’ism...." [see links here, here & here]
As expected, these attempts were armed with the usual absurd fabrications about Baha'i beliefs and intentions. They were initiated by extremist elements in the Egyptian Parliament and were accompanied by a so called "secret memorandum from al-Azhar denouncing Baha'ism...."
This futile and "dramatic" attempt, which has created "a Parliamentarian crisis," was stopped in its tracks, before gaining any momentum, by the wisdom of the Parliamentary leadership, denouncing it as "unconstitutional."
According to an article, published in today's Rose al-Youssef, a paper normally expressing the views of the Egyptian authorities, the Joint Commission, mentioned above, was forced to "erase" its recommendation to "criminalize Baha'i thought and those who believe in it" because such a law would violate the tenets and procedures of the Parliament as well as "articles 2 and 40 of the Egyptian Constitution that guarantee freedoms of citizenship and belief." The Joint Commission, however continues its rhetoric against "Baha'i thought" and its concern for the Egyptian youth and its attraction to it.
The strategy of extremist elements in the Egyptian society, as well as the media and the supportive extremist elected officials, has been to consistently paint the Baha'is with one brush, soaked in a soiled bucket filled with fabrications and blatant lies, intended to stain the Bahai's so that the uninformed masses would be brainwashed into hating and detesting them. These fabrications include, but not limited to: accusations that the Baha'i [religion] is not a divinely-ordained religion, but rather a man-made destructive thought; accusations that Baha'is are agents of Zionism and imperialism with a mission, as a political movement, to destroy the Islamic world and its infrastructure; accusations of immorality, incest and exchange of wives; accusations of being Iranian agents with the intent of destroying the Arab world; accusations of "bribing the Egyptian youth into converting to Baha'ism;" as well as many other fabrications, too numerous and ludicrous to mention here.
The reality is, if any of these fabrications were true, why would anyone in his or her right mind want to joint such a "thought?" Fortunately, Egyptian youth, who are mostly educated, can read for themselves and can independently investigate the truth. Their intelligence cannot betray them into believing such absurdities being thrown at them.
The divinity of a religion is not for any man to judge but rather it is for God to ordain such a power; the proof of which lies in the religion itself and in its teachings. One can simply go to the source of the fountain of truth to satisfy one's thirst--reliable sources such as in this or that site.
How could they accuse the Baha'is of political ambitions and intentions when they well know that one of the main principles of the Baha'i Faith is the absolute necessity of non-involvement in partisan politics?
How could they accuse Baha'is of "immorality" and of "devious thought" when they well know that their teachings are in complete contradiction to their claims? They very well know that when it concerns morality and rectitude of conduct, just like in any other divinely-ordained religion, they do not need to look any farther than to pay attention to the numerous writings of the Baha'i Faith. Morality and rectitude of conduct are clearly the fundamental cornerstones upon which the religion is revealed. Among the many examples of such writings, one can refer to the following quotes:
O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God's grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of love and loving-kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them. For universality is of God and all limitations earthly. Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the affections and loving-kindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted.
Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Baha, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourself, should they show their enmity be friendly towards them, should they poison your lives sweeten their souls, should they inflict a wound upon you be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful.
— Abdu'l-Baha — Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 445.
In another passage, one can find the following teachings:
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
— Bahá’u’lláh — Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. [1952] 1983: 285.
How could any of these teachings be a threat to the national security of Egypt, as claimed by those extremists who stated that Baha'is are more of a threat to Egypt than the most venomous and terrorizing organizations currently invading its society? And why would they want to protect the Egyptian youth from such teachings? Their strategy is very telling indeed and can be explained in few simple words: take all the Baha'i teachings and reverse them 180 degrees, so that those who cannot read for themselves would believe their fabricated stories, which in turn can serve their scheme to create an environment hostile to any progressive thought that could be a threat to their own ambitions and power....
The Baha'is of Egypt do not ask for much: they want to be given the opportunity, as equal citizens, to continue to love and serve their society and to contribute to its advancement and its success. In return, they yearn for their society to just love them back--as it is only natural to have such feelings.
Fortunately, Egypt remains to be an enlightened society which continues to be able to halt such desperate attempts at disrupting its diverse fabric and its need for progress. This episode is yet another example of its will to promote a just and tolerant society that aspires to join the rest of the world in its goodwill and prosperity. Egypt's well-recognized ancient civilization and heritage can only attest to that end. Nothing less can be expected from the wisdom and vision of its leaders whose ardent desire is a hopeful and bright future for Egypt's people.
There appears to be some imminent positive prospects for the displaced Baha'i families of Showraniyah, the southern Nile village in the province of Sohag recently known for the burning of Baha'i homes.
According to an article in yesterday's edition of Al-Youm Al-Sabe'h [the Seventh Day] Egyptian newspaper, village elders, community organizers, State security agencies and the authorities are in the process of finding ways to solve the crisis surrounding the Showraniyah burning.
The strategy of the negotiations, conducted by these village leaders, is to provide favorable conditions for a state of peaceful reconciliation. It is intended to bring about a transition that would allow the Baha'i families to return to their homes, and to provide them with a safe environment within their village devoid of any exposure to further hostilities "from near or far." They will be promised that future conditions will bring about a state of normal coexistence in accordance with the "principle of citizenship."
As the perpetrators of offenses against the Baha'is can be subject to "the severest penalties," these healing developments have been met by family heads in the village with approval. They now understand the need to bring an end to the crisis and to bring back the village to a normal state of peaceful coexistence.
Some of the displaced Showraniyah Baha'is
Reports of these negotiations have been revealed to the newspaper by a "responsible source in [State] Security" who has indicated that the families in the village concur with these plans.
Showraniyah is a village located on a Nile island in southern Egypt. The Baha'i families lived in two sections [naighborhoods] of the village that are called Nag'h Kabir and Nag'h Hashem.
There were five large families of Baha'is living in the village. They have all been displaced since the burning of their homes on the night of 31 March 2009. The parents are now without work, the young children are out of school and two law students (one of whom is in his final year) have also been unable to return to their university since their expulsion from southern Egypt. These are the same families that were imprisoned in 2001 solely for believing in the Baha'i Faith. One of the children, who is now 9-years-old, was in jail for several months with his mother at the tender age of 6 months when they were incarcerated eight years ago.
It is clear that the time has come for these innocent citizens who want to live peacefully among their neighbors and friends to return to normal life. The children need to return to their schools and the parents are eager to return to their work so that they can all serve society as well as they have always done in the past.
The document that many have been waiting for was finally published in the 14 April 2009 edition of Al-Waqa’eh Al- Massreyah [The Egyptian Gazette/Chronicles], which is the long-standing official journal where all laws must be published before their actual implementation. [see EIPR/Human Rights Watch joint press release here, also see story in BWNShere]
This decree by the Ministry of Interior is of profound historical significance, mostly because it contains a vital amendment of an older order issued in 1995 regarding the enforcement of Civil Status Law of 1994.
In short, this decree allows anyone who does not belong to one of the three approved religions in Egypt (Judaism, Christianity & Islam) to obtain identification documents with dash (-) in place of religion.
The published text of the decree was initially dated 19 March 2009, three days following the decision by the Supreme Administrative Court to uphold the lower court’s ruling allowing the Baha’is to obtain identification documents (birth certificates, IDs, etc…) with dash (-) instead of a stated religion. It also states that the decree is to be enforced the following day after its publication.
Since it was published in Al-Waqa’eh Al-Massreyah on 14 April, its implementation was supposed to begin on 15 April 2009. The law does not mention the word “Baha’i,” thus leaving the door open to anyone who does not belong to one of the three religions to apply for documents under these conditions.
The decree, signed by the Minister of Interior Habeeb El-Adly, states:
After reviewing law-143 of 1994 regarding civil status and its amended order-1121 of 1995, it is decreed that at the end of Article-33 of the 1995 order, the following is added: “and it must enter the sign (-) in the religion field for Egyptian citizens who were previously recorded, or acquired, or obtained, or their fathers [obtained] identification documents in which none of the three religions were stated, or if the sign (-) was placed in the religion field, or [in such cases] requiring enforcement of court orders that needed such implementation….”
This decree of the Ministry of Interior stipulates that the request for such documents must be submitted by those concerned to the Assistant Minister of Interior for the Civil Status authority, or to those deputized by him, and that it will be recorded in its specified register.
The office of civil status in Cairo is beginning to implement the order and is making arrangements to apply the necessary computer modifications that will allow the printing of these documents. It appears that, so far, this central office in Cairo will be handling all cases and has already received requests from a couple of individuals. Their documents should be issued as soon as the computer software modifications have been implemented. The process is expected to be gradual and orderly, and might take time to process all applicants.
Ironically, yesterday, a complaint was filed by a representative of al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Council, known for its open opposition to the Baha’is, requesting that the law be reversed and that Baha’is be stripped of their Egyptian citizenship. Clearly this is a frivolous challenge which has nowhere to go. The Islamic Research Council in its desperate move has shown how absurd its strategy is, which will only lead it to a dead end. In its rush to challenge the order, it failed to notice one simple fact: the Ministry of Interior order is for all Egyptian citizens affected by its conditions; it does not mention Baha’is anywhere in its text. It must be realized that the Ministry of Interior is above such tactics and after all its hard work in finding a solution to the identity crisis, it does not intend to retreat from its move towards normalization of the status of the citizens of Egypt.
A few days ago, I took a taxi ride with Dr. Raouf Hindi, the one who was awarded the Supreme Court verdict on behalf of his twin children allowing them birth certificates, and who now dons a head cap and dark sunglasses on his outings. Even with his disguise, this was the second time on the same day when a taxi driver recognized him and asked him if he obtained the identity documents with dashes yet. The driver said that he has been following the Baha’i cases quite regularly and that, along with his family and friends, they watch the TV programs about the Baha’is while congregated in groups. He said that no one should be forced to change his religion and that everyone is entitled to his own belief. He also expressed his dismay at the Showraniyah burning. The man was extremely friendly and eager to hear more about the Baha'is. He was genuinely interested and not merely curious. This is just an example of random unsolicited opinions in the streets of Cairo. Undoubtedly many more are out there.
The Baha’is of Egypt are eager to obtain their identity documents so that they can join their fellow citizens in continuing to serve their homeland and to contribute to the welfare of their society. By reaching this milestone, they will move towards being integrated in the fabric of the Egyptian society, and not unlike many of their coreligionists are in over 200 countries worldwide. The issue is indeed about service regardless of religious affiliation.
These Egyptian citizens love their country and are longing for it to love them back. This bold move by the Ministry of Interior propels them towards that.
Between 2 April and 9 April 2009 there were 81 Egyptian newspaper articles (all in Arabic) expressing outrage at the arson attack on Baha'i homes in the southern village of Showraniyah.
Egypt has never seen before the likes of this wholehearted support in its mainstream media for such a cause. It reflects the indignation felt by the multitudes of Egyptians who were labeled, at some point in the past, "the silent majority." This reaction is only natural, only because Egyptians by nature abhor flagrant manifestations of injustice.
The Showraniyah incident has clearly penetrated and stirred-up the very core of their sense of justice regardless of who the oppressed were, and even though these wronged ones were looked upon by the uninformed as alien to their traditional beliefs. Based on a very long and complex history, Egyptians know very well how such incidents can easily lead to disruption of the integrity of the very fabric of their society.
More recently, Egypt's government-sponsored National Council for Human Rights has also expressed its dismay at these inhumane violations of the rights of the Baha'is.
The time might be right for Egypt to finally acknowledge that its Baha'i population is a community of citizens who--inspired by their Faith--are dedicated to serve their country and its people and are committed to processes that promote a better world; and that rather than merely expressing the pursuit of their citizenship rights, their aim is to bring the water of life to humanity.
An ongoing serious point of discussion that is frequently raised by so many has been, why humanity needs continued Divine guidance? A line of reasoning as to this need is clearly expressed in the words of Baha'u'llah, the prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith; He contends the following:
“All the Prophets of God,” asserts Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech, and proclaim the same Faith.” From the “beginning that hath no beginning,” these Exponents of the Unity of God and Channels of His incessant utterance have shed the light of the invisible Beauty upon mankind, and will continue, to the “end that hath no end,” to vouchsafe fresh revelations of His might and additional experiences of His inconceivable glory. To contend that any particular religion is final, that “all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no sun shall rise again, that the ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest” would indeed be nothing less than sheer blasphemy.
“They differ,” explains Bahá’u’lláh in that same epistle, “only in the intensity of their revelation and the comparative potency of their light.” And this, not by reason of any inherent incapacity of any one of them to reveal in a fuller measure the glory of the Message with which He has been entrusted, but rather because of the immaturity and unpreparedness of the age He lived in to apprehend and absorb the full potentialities latent in that Faith.
The MidEast news source, The Media Line has just published a story that reports that an Egyptian journalist and a member of parliament from the ruling party are being summoned to court for allegedly inciting against the Baha’i minority in the country.
The journalist, Jamal ‘Abd A-Rahim from the pro-government daily Al-Gumouriyya, and the MP, Muhammad Yusri from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), are being questioned about their role leading to the burning of Baha’i homes last week.
Residents of A-Shouraniyya, located in the Sohag governorate about 345 kilometers south of the capital Cairo, set fire to houses belonging to Baha’is last Thursday and forced them out of town.
Molotov cocktails were hurled at their homes and the water was cut off to prevent them from putting out the flames.
The police soon arrived and helped the Baha’i families flee the premises.
Twenty residents of the town who allegedly took part in the assault have also been summoned to court.
‘Abd A-Rahim is being accused of inciting against the Baha’i after he published an inflammatory article in which he described them as apostates who rejected Islam. Yusri expressed support for ‘Abd A-Rahim’s statements.
Thursday’s was the second attack on Baha’i homes in a week. During a similar attack in late March, the assailants chanted against the Baha’is, calling them “enemies of Allah.”
Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said these latest attacks were unprecedented.
The Baha’i community has had problems with the state in terms of being stripped of its legal status, having property confiscated or being prosecuted for contempt of religion, he said.
“But this is the first time we’ve documented physical assaults on Baha’i homes or property.”
Last week’s incident was a setback for Baha’i freedom in Egypt, especially since it came two weeks after this minority made a significant legal gain.
On March 16, an Egyptian court ruled that the “religion” field on national identity cards could be left blank.
Up until that decision, Baha’is had to identify themselves on their ID cards as being Muslim, Christian or Jewish, and cards would not be issued for whoever refused to be labeled under one of these three religions, effectively rendering them non-citizens.
“Unfortunately these attacks marred the positive reaction that the court ruling received,” Bahgat said.
There is no official data as to the number of Baha’is in Egypt, but unofficial data puts their number somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 believers.
In an attempt to hide his tracks, Gamal Abdel-Rahim, the journalist who has been inciting violence against the Baha'is in Egypt, removed his article (blogpost), also published in al-Gomhoriyah newspaper, and in which a person from the Egyptian province of Sohag* claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Baha'is of Showraniyah and the torching of their homes.
*.... This story was reported in a comment by the leader of that mob on Gamal Abdel Rahim's blog, which has been dedicated to attacks on Baha'is. This mob leader, who claimed responsibility for the attack, is named Mohammad Youssry Mohammad. He identifies himself as the secretary of the youth committee of the village's National Party (al- Hezb al-Watany) and a teacher in the religious institute of the village. He describes the village to have a population of 16,751 with a surface area of approximately 1,567 feddans [acres]. It has 17 mosques, 3 churches, 16 elementary schools, 2 preparatory schools and 1 secondary "commerce" school. He also reports that the Baha'is, who were expelled from the village following the burning of their homes, consist of 15 individuals from three families, among them children and nursing babies.
In the initial post, published on Baha'i Faith in Egypt, if one clicks on the link to Abdel-Rahim's blogpost, an error message returns directing the link to his blog. On his blog's main page, the post in question has gone.
Fortunately, one of the Egyptian human rights activists has kept an image of Abdel-Rahim's post with the comment of the perpetrator of the attacks below the post. The image of the post is attached here courtesy of Bahlam Be-Youm blog.
News of this unprecedented attack continue to capture the attention of the media everywhere. Of particular interest is the reaction of many prominent Egyptians, expressed in several articles and editorials. They are so many and are too long to translate on this site. They are, however , too important for all readers not to miss. A blog by Smile Rose has kept-up with all these publications. I only wish if they can be translated to English in full!
According to an article published in The National, Abdel-Rahim refuses to apologize for having incited this wave of terror and violence in Egypt. The entire article is posted below with permission:
* Last Updated: April 05. 2009 8:34PM UAE / April 5. 2009 4:34PM GMT
Ahmed al Sayyid Abdul Ela, a Baha’i leader whose talk show appearance was followed by the torching of Bahai’s homes.Victoria Hazou for The National
Cairo // A newspaper columnist accused of inciting attacks last week against members of the Baha’i faith in an Upper Egyptian village said yesterday he remains unapologetic for his controversial comments.
Six Egyptian human rights groups have called on public prosecutors to investigate Gamal Abd al Rahim, a writer for the state-run Al Gomhurriya newspaper, for “incitement to felonies and misdemeanours”.
They say Mr al Rahim’s statements against Baha’is on a popular talk show led directly to an attack that saw villagers in the town of Al Shuraniya torch five homes known to belong to Baha’is.
The attacks in Al Shuraniya, in which eight homes were damaged but no one was injured, struck Egypt’s tiny Baha’i community only weeks after a decision by a constitutional court that will allow Egypt’s Baha’is to leave the religion section of their identity cards blank.
Baha’is had celebrated the verdict, which they hope will give their long-disenfranchised community equal citizenship status to Muslims and Christians. But if the court victory pointed to improvements in religious tolerance, the violence in Al Shuraniya revealed the latent communal tensions that persist in Egyptian society.
In an interview in his Cairo office, Mr al Rahim said the statements aired last Saturday, in which he said that a Baha’i leader who was a guest on the same programme “should be killed”, did not incite villagers in the town of Al Shuraniya to attack the homes of their Baha’i neighbours.
“I’m responsible for every word I said, and I don’t owe anyone any apologies,” said Mr al Rahim, who added that he condemns the attacks.
Instead, he said, the villagers were merely reacting to “disgraceful” statements by one of the show’s other guests, a Baha’i named Ahmed al Sayyid Abdul Ela, who boasted that his hometown of Al Shuraniya, about 400km south of Cairo, was “full of Baha’is”.
“The Egyptian people know how Sharia [Islamic jurisprudence] views this religion. They felt disgrace because of this man. And because of the strong customs and traditions of Upper Egyptian society, they attacked this man’s house.”
Mr Ela’s brothers were among those who appeared at a courthouse yesterday in Assiut, a governorate near to Al Shuraniya, to present their statements to police. On the evening of the attacks, police ordered all of Al Shuraniya’s Baha’i residents to leave the city before they could return to their homes to collect belongings. Most of them fled to Cairo.
“It was so painful to see all the children scared. It would have been better to have died than to have watched that,” said Abdul Bassit, Mr Ela’s brother, whose house was destroyed during the riots last Sunday night. “The police were there, but they were just watching. They didn’t take any of the kind of action that you would expect from police. This incident was such proof of ignorance and barbarism I couldn’t believe it was happening.”
Egypt’s constitution does not officially recognise the Baha’i faith and many Muslims consider them to be apostates.
Some, such as Mr al Rahim, also believe the Baha’i are agents of Zionism. While their numbers are few, he said, they are a dangerous threat to Islam and to Egypt.
“They are a group that is just related to Israel,” he said, citing the Baha’i headquarters in Haifa, Israel, as evidence of a Zionist conspiracy to permeate Egyptian society. “They just get money from abroad. They exist in Egypt, but their presence might cause discord in Egyptian society. I’m worried about Egypt.”
Even in the face of such ardent opposition, Baha’i community leaders say they are preparing to continue their struggle for basic rights.
After last month’s decision on identification cards, Baha’i leaders say the next step will be to pass legislation to allow civil marriage – the Baha’i still must leave Egypt to get married because they are prohibited from marrying in an unrecognised faith. But marriage is only one of several identity benefits denied to the Baha’i that most Egyptians take for granted.
Labib Hanna, a Baha’i leader, said his family still pays income taxes for his late sister, who was not issued a death certificate when she died five years ago because her religion was not recognised by the state.
“We are really true citizens. We love Egypt and we are obeying the government,” said Dr Hanna, a mathematics professor at Cairo University.
The Baha’is’ problems with the Egyptian government began in 1960, when Gamal Abdul Nasser disbanded the group’s official organisation and seized its property. That decision led to the periodic harassment and arrest of Baha’i adherents on charges of “contempt of religion” throughout the following decades.
Commentators in state-run newspapers continue to malign the Baha’i. The Baha’i religion teaches an ethos of global religious unity. Baha’i place the Prophet Mohammed on a continuum of divine prophecy that includes, but is not limited to, the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and Abraham. God will continue to send messengers, the Baha’i believe, and those messengers will continue to reveal divine truth.
Baha'ism is tantamount to apostasy, say many Muslims, because Baha'is believe God sent other prophets after Mohammed.
It is perfectly acceptable for Muslims to convey their opinion of Baha’ism, said Hossam Bahgat, the executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a human rights advocacy organisation that supported the Baha’is in the identity card case.
It is the incitement of violence, he said, that should be investigated and prosecuted by legal authorities.
“It’s much more serious than bigotry. Bigotry is a word I can use to describe all the views [Mr al Rahim] has expressed against Baha’is in the past month, against which Baha’is and rights activists chose not to take any legal action because we believe he was exercising his right to expression, as repulsive as the opinions he was expressing were,” said Mr Bahgat.
But some of Mr al Rahim’s comments, he said, were a “direct incitement to committing felonies and misdemeanours. We think that there is a clear link between the statements he made on TV and in a state newspaper to the type of violence we saw last week.”
Please see this Orbit TV program called al-Qahera el-Youm [Cairo Today], which presents in great details the attacks and the burning of Baha'i homes in the Egyptian village of Showraniyah. Several guests are participating, including a teenager from the village who gives a minute by minute account of the attacks. Also present is Mr. Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). A Muslim clergy invited to the program does his part in the usual rhetoric against the Baha'is. The program includes an extensive discussion of the Baha'i religion and involved audiance calling -in.
Al-Hurra TV channel aired on its news program an extensive interview with Mr. Hossam Bahgat, the director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). This organization has been taking the lead in defending the rights of the Baha'is of Egypt, particularly during the past five years. There is not enough credit that can be attributed to the unrelenting and courageous work this young activist organization has undertaken, particularly doing so while faced with a very strong national current of religious extremism and amidst a hostile public opinion.
Attorney Adel Ramadan with a villager
The case of the Baha'is of Egypt is not exactly a case that can be seen as a popular cause to defend, especially under these conditions and in a society marred with bigotry and resounding adherence to long-standing misguided dogma. Fortunately, for Egypt's sake, there remain people like these heroic individuals who have taken on such desperate causes and such convoluted cases.
Another person, also a member of EIPR, that has been in the forefront of this struggle--defending the Baha'is--is a young lawyer, named Adel Ramadan, who has selflessly and tirelessly devoted all his legal prowess to the multiple litigations before Egyptian courts, including the Supreme Administrative Court. He has been working very quietly, sticking to his message with great effectiveness and solid outcomes. He has never hesitated or given-up, even under the most disappointing and discouraging times that he frequently encountered during this long-fought battle of good versus evil.
Al-Hurra TV interview:
Continued post....
Ahmad El-Sayyid, Showraniyah Baha'i, exiting prosecutor's office
The storm of religious strife lingers over Egypt and the media in the entire region are taking note of the recent unprecedented and exceptional hostilities towards the Baha'is of Egypt. An example of this is an article published in al-Masry el-Youm with a somewhat misleading headline stating, "Baha'i Mass Escape from Sohag." It must be noted that Sohag is a very large Egyptian province with many inhabitants. Yes, there are Baha'is in that province, but no, there has not been a "mass escape" from Sohag. The only ones known to have left the area were those from the infamous village of Showraniyah. This article, published today, was written by Ahmed Shalabi and Abdel Aal Talaat in Arabic, and was then translated into English by the newspaper. The English version is posted below in its entirety. N.B. Except for Adel Ramadan's picture posted above (credit: al-Masry El-Youm), the accompanying photographs have been added by the author of this blog.
Baha'i Mass Escape from Sohag
By Ahmed Shalabi and Abdel Aal Talaat 3/ 4/ 2009
Baha'ism followers in Shuraniya Village, Sohag, carried out a mass fleeing to Cairo after the village set fire to five of their homes, Al-Masry Al-Youm has learnt.
An official security source, who declined to be named, said the Baha'i homes have been put under security guardianship after their residents fled to Cairo. Sohag is home for 182 Baha'is, said the source.
Dr. Basma Moussa, a Cairo Baha'i, exiting prosecutor's office
Another source said the Baha'is 13 years ago took Shuraniya Village as a foothold to spread their ideologies as initiated by a man named Abdel Sami'e Sayed Abul-Ela and his brother Ahmed. They co-opted many followers, patricianly from the villages of al-Kabir and al-Sa'aydah.
Shuraniya, a small isle in the middle of the Nile, turned into barracks. Tight security was imposed, and the village inhabitants were banned from entering or exiting.
The media was also banned access to the village. 16 police cars, 6 armored cars and 4 fire engines were at the site, plus scores of secret policemen.
A meeting was held between Maghagha Local Council head and some policemen and leaders of influential families, who said the presence of Baha'is in the village was unacceptable by many.
Al-Masry Al-Youm visited the apartment of a Baha'i in al-Zahra'a area only to discover that he left it two days ago at dawn, according to the story told by the villagers. It also visited another two families in Husni Rashed area but they declined to talk.
Some Shuraniya people said Baha'i followers have good relations with all people in the area and were in good terms with everybody. They also said everybody should remain free to embrace whatever faith they want.
Meanwhile, 11 persons from Shuraniya were released after they were arrested on charges of attacking the homes of Baha'is one day before the fire. Some Baha'i followers and 6 human rights organizations yesterday lodged a request, calling on the Public Prosecutor to immediately look into the attacks on their houses in Sohag.
Below is a video showing the burning of Baha'i homes in the village of Showranyiah in the province of Sohag in Upper Egypt (You can hear at the end of the video someone shouting for the person taking the video "el hokooma gaya" (The government [police] is coming):
The following is an account of the events surrounding the violence perpetrated against the Baha'is of Egypt and the burning of their homes in a southern village located in the province of Sohag. This information was related by a reliable source in Egypt:
This crisis began with a television program, named al-Haqiqah [The Truth], aired on Egypt's Dream-2 channel last Saturday, 28 March, from 7:30-8:30 PM, in which the extremist journalist, Gamal Abdel-Rahim, ferociously attacked the Baha'is, calling for their killing and for the killing of Dr. Basma Moussa who was also a participant in the same program. Another participant in this program was Mr. Ahmad El-Sayyid, an Egyptian Baha'i from the southern village of Showranyiah who indicated that there were many Baha'is living in his province of Sohag. The program was hosted by the well-known TV personality, Mr. Wael El-Ebrashy.
Shortly after the airing of this program on Saturday night, a mob went to the homes of the Baha'is in the village of Showraniyah, which is an island in the middle of the Nile consisting of two sub-villages named Nagh el-Kabir and Nagh el-Sa'aydah, in the southern province of Sohag. The mob began by shouting insults at the Baha'is, who were in their homes at the time, and chanted "No God but Allah" and "Baha'is are enemies of Allah," and began throwing bricks and rocks at these five homes.
Some of these Baha'is were able to contact the police and reported the attack. The police then interfered, dispersed the crowd, and took all the Baha'is to the police station and held them in protective custody until the police was able to negotiate with the mob and reach some sort of a truce. Subsequently, they released the Baha'is to return to their homes the next morning (Sunday) and provided police guards around the homes until Monday morning when the guards were pulled.
On Tuesday morning, 31 March, the journalist Gamal Abdel-Rahim wrote an inflammatory article, published in the government-owned al-Gomhoriyah [The Republic] newspaper, also posted on his blog, in which he stirred the emotions of the ignorant masses by slandering the Baha'is and calling for their killing. He also praised the villagers for their attacks on the Baha'is. That same day, when night fell, a mob attacked the homes of the Baha'is in Showraniyah (see video above), threw homemade Molotovcocktail bottles and fire bombs at the homes burning a total of 6 homes (according to the Egyptian media two homes did not belong to the Baha'is). They vandalized the homes and looted their property, some of which were electric appliances and other expensive items. Meanwhile, the Baha'i families and their children were desperate for a place to hide, some of whom were in the recesses of their homes and some were able to escape the fire and hide in alley corners in the dark.
In order to spread the fire, the mob cut-off the water supply to the homes and blocked access to the village so that fire trucks would be delayed in their response. Because the village is an island, fire trucks have to access the village by a ferry.
At last, the police interfered and arrested six villagers from the mob, and took the Baha'i families into protective custody again. They were able, then, to smuggle these families with their children and babies out of the village in the early dawn, Wednesday morning--only with their clothes on their backs--via the ferry and took them to several undisclosed distant locations in Egypt.
Today, 2 April 2009, six Egyptian Human Rights Organizations as well as Dr. Basma Moussa, the Egyptian Baha'i who was the target of death threats caused by Gamal Abdel-Rahim's calls for her murder, as well as several members of the Baha'i families from Sohag went to the offices of the State Council in Cairo. They met with Egypt's Attorney-General and filed formal complaints against Gamal Abdel-Rahim and the mob in the village of Showraniyah.
The Attorney-General referred Dr. Moussa's case to the Giza Attorney-General and referred the Baha'i villagers case to the Assyout (southern province) Attorney-General because it was felt that the Sohag office of the attorney might be biased against them. During that visit in Cairo, large crowds were present--many of whom were supportive--as well as riot police and security forces. Also present were several representatives from various media agencies, including al-Gazirah channel which has recorded interviews with those present. The media was not permitted to enter the building of the State Council [Maghlis al-Dawlah].
Several leading Egyptian newspapers have already reported on these events, some of which are linked to here (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). International news agencies have also picked up the story (AP-1, AP-2 & AFP, Reuters, Deutsche Presse-Agentur).
P.S. All pictures in this post are from today's visit to the State Council. Al-Gazirah Channel:
Mohawar Channel, 48 Hours Program:
Today, six Egyptian human rights organizations, led by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) have issued a joint statement that expressed their disgust with these heinous acts against this innocent religious minority of Egypt, and have described their strategy in handling the situation. They are requesting the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of these acts as well as State-sponsored protective measures for the Baha'is. This is a very serious and strong statement (a must read), the statement was initially released today in Arabic, and was later translated to English. It is quoted below with permission:
Joint Press Release
2 April, 2009
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
El-Nadim Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
Rights Groups Urge Prosecutions for Assault on Baha'i Egyptians
Six Egyptian human rights organizations today urged the Public Prosecutor to initiate an immediate investigation into assaults committed against Baha'i Egyptians over the past several days in the southern governorate of Sohag. In a complaint filed this morning, the groups called for the investigation to include those responsible for the direct incitement to the assaults and asked that the matter be referred urgently to criminal trial.
"The heinous and unprecedented attacks on Baha'i Egyptians are a crime against all Egyptians,“ the rights organizations said. “We shall never allow the perpetrators of these crimes to benefit from the same climate of impunity that has marred the government's response to sectarian violence against Egyptians Copts over the last four decades.”
Preliminary inquiries carried out by the rights groups found that the attacks began on Saturday evening, 28 March, in the village of al-Shuraniya, located in the Maragha district of Sohag, when dozens of village residents gathered outside of the homes of Baha'i citizens in the village and began chanting, “There is no god but God, Baha'is are the enemies of God.” Those assembled then began pelting the houses with rocks, breaking windows and attempting to break in. Although police forces arrived in the village after being called by the victims of the attack, the police simply dispersed the assembled parties without arresting anyone involved in the crime. Similar, though less intense, attacks occurred on 29 and 30 March.
On 31 March at approximately 7 pm, the attacks escalated when some residents of the village—known by the victims—threw improvised firebombs and Molotov cocktails at the homes of the five Baha'i families living in the village, leading to the partial destruction of the houses. The victims said that the assailants broke or disabled the water connections to their homes to prevent them from putting out the fires. According to the victims, the assailants also broke into the houses, vandalizing property inside and stealing some electrical appliances and livestock. There were no human injuries or losses. The attacks prompted some of the Baha'i families to flee their homes and hide in the fields until the following morning. The police arrived during the attacks and again dispersed the assailants; there was no information that any of the assailants had been arrested.
The next morning, 1 April, the police ordered the remaining Baha'is in the village to leave immediately and did not allow them to return to their homes to collect clothing, medicine, schoolbooks, money, or other necessities. Information gathered indicates that all Baha'is have left the village as of the evening of 1 April.
The assaults on the Baha'is in al-Shuraniya began after an episode of the program “al-Haqiqa,” aired on Dream 2 on 28 March, which discussed the situation of Baha'is in Egypt. The program featured a Baha'i from al-Shuraniya and Baha'i activist and dentistry professor Dr. Basma Gamal Musa. Also participating in the program was Gamal Abd al-Rahim, a journalist at the state-owned al-Gumhouriya newspaper and a member of the board of the Press Syndicate, who, during the program, said referring to Dr. Basma, “This one should be killed.” On 31 March, only hours before the homes of the Baha'is were torched in al-Shuraniya, al-Gomhouriya published an article by Gamal Abd al-Rahim in which he praised the residents of al-Shuraniya for stoning the homes of Baha'is in the village in the preceding days. He considered these crimes to be evidence of al-Shuraniya residents’ “protectiveness of their religion and beliefs.”
The six rights organizations demanded that the Public Prosecutor question Gamal Abd al-Rahim regarding his incitement to violence against Baha'is in both the television program and his published article, pursuant to Articles 171 and 172 of the Penal Code, which address public incitement to felonies and misdemeanors. Consistent with the organizations’ principled opposition to the imprisonment for publication offences, the groups' complaint excluded Article 98(f) of the Penal Code, which stipulates mandatory imprisonment for “anyone who exploits religion to promote extremist ideas with the intent of inciting civil strife and damaging national unity,” and Article 176 of the Penal Code, which also stipulates mandatory imprisonment for anyone who “incites to discrimination against a group of people on the basis of race, origin, language, religion, or belief when such incitement disrupts public peace.”
Moreover, the rights organizations called on the board of Egypt's national Press Syndicate to take immediate action against Gamal Abd al-Rahim, particularly since he occupies a seat on the board, regarding his violation of the Syndicate’s Code of Ethics, which states that journalists have an obligation “to refrain in their writings from joining racist or bigoted advocacy or advocacy that involves contempt or disdain of religions, aspersions cast on the faith of others, or incitement to discrimination against or contempt for any group of society.”
For further information, please call +20 10 628 8928.
al-Ahram article (burning of 5 homes), dated 1 April 2009
Even though there have been glimpses of hope for peaceful resolution to the struggle of the Baha'is of Egypt, supported by the judiciary as well as the government, a sickening undercurrent of activity is being propagated and stirred by an Egyptian journalist, named Gamal Abdel Rahim, who writes for Egypt's Al-Gomhoryiah [the Republic] newspaper. His activities can easily be regarded as plots that are leading to sedition, intended to entice public unrest and disrupt "public order."
This journalist has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Baha'is in Egypt. His rhetoric is cloaked with hatred and disgust. He advocates pronouncing all Baha'is as apostates and urges their killing. As a consequence to his urging, during a recent television program (posted below), a mob attacked and assaulted the Baha'is in the village of Showranyiah (island in the center of the Nile) in the southern Egyptian province of Sohag on 31 March 2009 at 8 PM. The mob, reportedly, burned their homes and expelled the Baha'i families from the village.
This story was reported in a comment by the leader of that mob on Gamal Abdel Rahim's blog, which has been dedicated to attacks on Baha'is. This mob leader, who claimed responsibility for the attack, is named Mohammad Youssry Mohammad. He identifies himself as the secretary of the youth committee of the village's National Party (al- Hezb al-Watany) and a teacher in the religious institute of the village. He describes the village to have a population of 16,751 with a surface area of approximately 1,567 feddans [acres]. It has 17 mosques, 3 churches, 16 elementary schools, 2 preparatory schools and 1 secondary "commerce" school. He also reports that the Baha'is, who were expelled from the village following the burning of their homes, consist of 15 individuals from three families, among them children and nursing babies.
A television program, aired on 28 March 2009, provided a forum for discussion between a representative of the Baha'i community of Egypt, Dr. Basma Moussa, the journalist Gamal Abdel Rahim and a Baha'i from the village of Showranyiah, Ahmad El-Sayyid. The host was Wael El-Ebrashy of Dream Channel. This recent attack was triggered by the hateful comments made by the journalist Gamal Abdel Rahim against the Baha'is during the TV program (see videos below).
Although this is regarded as an outrageous and heinous act against an innocent Baha'i population of an Egyptian village, it should be emphasized that this is not a normal occurrence in Egypt and does only represent the reaction of an ill-informed number of individuals who are driven by hatred and ignorance. There are many Egyptians who have been supportive of the Baha'is and of their rights. Among them are leaders of society, such as journalists, academics, politicians, artists, human rights activists and jurists.
The Egyptian authorities must take action against the perpetrators of these acts and must hold responsible those who have caused them. The rule of law has to prevail over such irresponsible terror and has to halt this state of unbridled anarchy. Egypt cannot afford to tolerate such a state of lawlessness.
Update (2 April 2009 Egypt-time): Human rights activists and Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination are holding a demonstration at the office of Egypt's Attorney-General and are requesting that Gamal Abdel Rahim be charged and prosecuted (see report here).
Below is the TV program that apparently has triggered the current violence. The program was intended to discuss the Nowruz feast celebrated by the Baha'is in a Cairo public park on the 21st of March:
A very informative book about the Baha'i Faith by Drs. Wendi and Moojan Momen, first published in 2007 by Dunedin Academic Press, was recently translated to Arabic and is now available for orders from bookstores. This is indeed a very welcome addition to the growing range of materials in the Arabic language about the Baha'i religion.
The book focuses on the impact that the Baha'i religion has by looking at what it has to say about personal life, the home, the community, social issues, global concerns, as well as the spiritual life. The book provides a factual and straightforward account of the history, organization, development and sacred texts of the religion, as well as a time-line of important events and a glossary. It is suitable for general audiences, students of comparative religion and teachers.
The book can be identified through its International Standard Book Number or ISBN, 9953-417-65-2 and can be ordered by all bookstores from Al-Furat publishers in Lebanon (email: alfurat@alfurat.com). [address: Basement, Rasamny building, Hamra street, Hamra sector, Beirut, Lebanon. Phone: +9611-750054; Fax: +9611-750053]
As Al-Furat's website is still under construction, one can acquire the Arabic version of the book by asking any local bookstore to stock a number of copies of the book for purchasing by directly contacting the publishers as indicated above.
In an article published today in Arabic, with a version in English, Al Arabiya reported that following Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court decision to allow the Baha'is obtain identification documents with no religious classification entered, the ruling National Democratic Party announced that "the government was studying the possibility of removing the religion section from all identification cards following a similar move in Lebanon."
The Arabic version of the article states the following in its title: [written in red] "After permitting Baha'is to leave it blank," then [written in blue] "Study to eliminate the religion section from personal identification documents for Egyptians."
Additionally, the second paragraph of the Arabic version, referring to comments made by the secretary of the Information Committee of the ruling National Democratic Party, states:
"Dr. Ali El-Deen Helal revealed...that the [ruling] party is universally comfortable with the verdict issued by the Supreme Administrative [Court] allowing the Baha'is their right not to enter anything in the religion section of their ID cards, leaving them blank."
In the sixth paragraph of the Arabic version, Dr. Helal points out that:
"under the umbrella of the constitutional reforms and the new direction taken by the National Party, there is nothing that will remain behind closed doors, a proof of this is the ruling issued in favor of the Baha'is, which is a final verdict that takes them back to last century, in the 1960s, when they were able to obtain ID cards without being forced to enter a religion against their will because, if that were allowed to happen, it would be against the freedom of belief which is one of the foundations of the Egyptian constitution."
"He pointed 'that the last ruling of the Supreme Administrative [Court] for the Baha'is is a clear verdict that establishes the true understanding of citizenship which is emphasized in the first article of the constitution, it is indeed one of our gains that affirms citizenship rights realized by Egyptian nationals, which is mandated by President Mubarak in his quest for enforcing the principle of citizenship...in accordance with the first article of the constitution'"
This example of progressive thinking and illumined dialogue is yet another demonstration of how the Baha'is of Egypt, through their perseverance and their dedication to a just cause, can ultimately impart their positive influence to the entire Egyptian society.
Below is the full text of the English version provided by Al Arabiya: [credit, Al Arabiya--posted with permission]
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
A move said to promote freedom of faith
Egypt may remove religion from ID cards
Groups say new move to teach Egyptians concept of citizenship (File)
CAIRO (Mustafa Suleiman)
In a step expected to cause controversy in Egypt, a ruling party official announced that the government was studying the possibility of removing the religion section from all identification cards following a similar move in Lebanon.
At a seminar called "The future of citizenship in Egypt" a member of the National Democratic Party (NDP) said the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling to mull the case was a positive step for freedom of faith.
"The idea could be faced with opposition," Dr. Alieddin Hilal, the NDP's Secretary for Mass Media Affairs, told AlArabiya.net. "But we will keep working on applying the concept if [sic] citizenship and achieving equality between all Egyptians."
"The application could be a bit slow, but in the next stage and before the coming legislative elections, Egypt will witness significant changes as far as Copts and women are concerned," Hilal added.
Concept of citizenship
Dr. Hani Aziz, secretary of Egypt Lovers and Peace Society (ELPS), which organized the conference, agreed with Hilal and said that move was the first step towards educating Egyptians about the concept of citizenship.
"Citizenship means equality in rights and duties," Aziz told AlArabiya.net. "It is a culture of tolerance and dialogue and it respects multiplicity."
Aziz pointed out that the concept of citizenship is emphasized in article one of the constitution and that the constitution is the main law.
At the conference, Hilal also revealed that another draft law was being mulled to allow more parliamentary representation for women in the upcoming legislative elections.
"According to the new law, two women would run for each governorate," Hilal said. "This means there will be a minimum of 50 women in the next parliament."
Hilal said he was disappointed that although the Egyptian parliament was the oldest in the region, it had the least women representation in the Arab world.
Last month Lebanon's Interior Minister Ziad Baroud issued an edict allowing citizens to remove any reference to their religion from ID cards or Civil Registry Records.
Even though Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court has, on 16 March 2009, ruled in favor of the Baha'is allowing them to obtain identity documents with dashes [--] entered in place of religion, there remain many obstacles to the normalization of their status in Egypt. This can be easily perceived when reading the recent editorials and reports in several Egyptian newspaper articles.
Initially, following the recent court ruling, several of these articles limited their reporting to the facts about the verdict itself and its implications (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). More recently, though, newspaper editorials have been busying themselves with eliciting public opinions regarding the Baha'i case from various factions (9, 10).
These opinions range from, those who adamantly oppose the Baha'is and who are bent on continuing their "war" against the Baha'is--calling them apostates who deserve the severest of penalties, to those who are supportive of the citizenship rights of the Baha'is (10, 11, 12, 13), to the extent of voicing their disappointment that the ruling did not go far enough to permit the Baha'is to enter their true religion on these identity documents.
The intent of some of the supporters appears to be not to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Baha'i Faith as an approved religion in Egypt, but rather they look at the matter as a human rights issue: that is the right of people to independent belief and to be identified correctly according to their own belief.
There remain, also, many others who do not understand what the fuss is all about and do not even acknowledge the existence of such a thing as "Baha'i," stating: "besides Islam and Christianity in Egypt, we only had Jews, and fortunately we have managed to get rid of them."
Furthermore, there are those who resort to using the well-known Egyptian sarcasm in order to make their point by calling the Baha'i Faith "Al-deen Abu-Sharta [the dashes religion]," referring to the ruling that allowed dashes to be entered in place of religion on identity documents.
Emad & Nancy Raouf Hindi in the courtroom on 16 March
This controversy, which cannot just vanish overnight simply because of a favorable court verdict, will likely continue for some time to come. Thus, the difficult task before the Baha'is of Egypt will likely go beyond the mere pursuit of their identity documents and the consequent acquisition of some of their citizenship rights.
It will require an extraordinary effort on their behalf to influence the public opinion as to the nature and the legitimacy of their belief. They will also need to help the Egyptian society learn the truth about their Faith and the desire of the Egyptian Baha'is, as obedient citizens and well-wishers of their homeland, to join hands with their fellow Egyptians in promoting their collective welfare.
It is a natural human reaction, particularly after such a long suffering and after so many legal battles, for all those affected by the ruling to be ecstatic with such a victory in their ongoing struggle for their rights. It is also obvious that many other minorities in Egypt will ultimately benefit from such a ruling that, at last, opened the door for them towards their civil rights without having to identify themselves as belonging to one of the three approved religions in Egypt. It is time, however, for the harder task to begin: that is for the Baha'is to intensify the projection of their well-acknowledged brilliant image on their beloved society and correct public perception of their true nature and intent.
A tough obstacle in their path, however, remains to be presidential decree (263) that, in 1960, outlawed the Baha'i Faith in Egypt. Without the reversal of this decree, the Baha'is of Egypt will continue to be the targets of all sorts of false accusations, attacks and ill-intentioned challenges by the extremist elements of the Egyptian society. Ultimately, in order for them to be treated equally in the true sense, it is essential for their status in Egypt be fully legitimized by removing all barriers to their standing as equal citizens of their beloved Egypt.
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“All the Prophets of God,” asserts Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech, and proclaim the same Faith.” From the “beginning that hath no beginning,” these Exponents of the Unity of God and Channels of His incessant utterance have shed the light of the invisible Beauty upon mankind, and will continue, to the “end that hath no end,” to vouchsafe fresh revelations of His might and additional experiences of His inconceivable glory. To contend that any particular religion is final, that “all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no sun shall rise again, that the ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest” would indeed be nothing less than sheer blasphemy.
“They differ,” explains Bahá’u’lláh in that same epistle, “only in the intensity of their revelation and the comparative potency of their light.” And this, not by reason of any inherent incapacity of any one of them to reveal in a fuller measure the glory of the Message with which He has been entrusted, but rather because of the immaturity and unpreparedness of the age He lived in to apprehend and absorb the full potentialities latent in that Faith. (Shoghi Effendi: The World Order of Baha'u'llah)
On 3 July 2009, Amnesty International has demanded an "URGENT ACTION" 
In a story published in The New York Times on 26 June 2009, and entitled "For Bahais, a Crackdown Is Old News," its author Samuel G. Freedman writes:
A spokesman for the Baha'i International Community was interviewed two days ago by the US National Public Radio (NPR). On its website, NPR writes the following:
The following was published on an official website of the Baha'is of the United States:
All Egyptians are in a state of shock and grief over the untimely and unexpected death of the grandchild of President Hosni Mubarak. According to Al-Ahram Weekly, "twelve-year-old Mohamed, the child of Mubarak's eldest son 47-year-old Alaa, died suddenly on Monday."
More details regarding the retraction of a proposed parliamentary law criminalizing "Baha'i thought" in Egypt appeared in yesterday's edition of Egypt's Al-Youm Al-Sabe'h newspaper. These details clearly illustrate a progressive and enlightened trend in the Egyptian legislative branch of government. The following is not a word by word translation, but rather a synopsis of the newspaper story:
A number of Middle Eastern news outlets reported last week that the Egyptian Parliament's Joint Commission on Defense, National Security, Arab Affairs and Religious Endowments has demanded that the Egyptian Parliament expedite the issuance of "a new law criminalizing Baha’ism...." [see links here, here & here]
The reality is, if any of these fabrications were true, why would anyone in his or her right mind want to joint such a "thought?" Fortunately, Egyptian youth, who are mostly educated, can read for themselves and can independently investigate the truth. Their intelligence cannot betray them into believing such absurdities being thrown at them.
There appears to be some imminent positive prospects for the displaced Baha'i families of Showraniyah, the southern Nile village in the province of Sohag recently known for the burning of Baha'i homes.
Some of the displaced Showraniyah Baha'is
The document that many have been waiting for was finally published in the 14 April 2009 edition of Al-Waqa’eh Al- Massreyah [The Egyptian Gazette/Chronicles], which is the long-standing official journal where all laws must be published before their actual implementation. [see EIPR/Human Rights Watch joint press release here, also see story in BWNS here]
A few days ago, I took a taxi ride with Dr. Raouf Hindi, the one who was awarded the Supreme Court verdict on behalf of his twin children allowing them birth certificates, and who now dons a head cap and dark sunglasses on his outings. Even with his disguise, this was the second time on the same day when a taxi driver recognized him and asked him if he obtained the identity documents with dashes yet. The driver said that he has been following the Baha’i cases quite regularly and that, along with his family and friends, they watch the TV programs about the Baha’is while congregated in groups. He said that no one should be forced to change his religion and that everyone is entitled to his own belief. He also expressed his dismay at the Showraniyah burning. The man was extremely friendly and eager to hear more about the Baha'is. He was genuinely interested and not merely curious. This is just an example of random unsolicited opinions in the streets of Cairo. Undoubtedly many more are out there.
Between 2 April and 9 April 2009 there were 81 Egyptian newspaper articles (all in Arabic) expressing outrage at the arson attack on Baha'i homes in the southern village of Showraniyah.
The MidEast news source, The Media Line has just published a story that reports that an Egyptian journalist and a member of parliament from the ruling party are being summoned to court for allegedly inciting against the Baha’i minority in the country.
In an attempt to hide his tracks, Gamal Abdel-Rahim, the journalist who has been inciting violence against the Baha'is in Egypt, removed his article (blogpost), also published in al-Gomhoriyah newspaper, and in which a person from the Egyptian province of Sohag* claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Baha'is of Showraniyah and the torching of their homes.Ahmed al Sayyid Abdul Ela, a Baha’i leader whose talk show appearance was followed by the torching of Bahai’s homes. Victoria Hazou for The National
Attorney Adel Ramadan with a villager
Ahmad El-Sayyid, Showraniyah Baha'i, exiting prosecutor's office
Attorney Adel Ramadan with a villager
Ahmad El-Sayyid, Showraniyah Baha'i, exiting prosecutor's officeDr. Basma Moussa, a Cairo Baha'i, exiting prosecutor's office
Shortly after the airing of this program on Saturday night, a mob went to the homes of the Baha'is in the village of Showraniyah, which is an island in the middle of the Nile consisting of two sub-villages named Nagh el-Kabir and Nagh el-Sa'aydah, in the southern province of Sohag. The mob began by shouting insults at the Baha'is, who were in their homes at the time, and chanted "No God but Allah" and "Baha'is are enemies of Allah," and began throwing bricks and rocks at these five homes.
In order to spread the fire, the mob cut-off the water supply to the homes and blocked access to the village so that fire trucks would be delayed in their response. Because the village is an island, fire trucks have to access the village by a ferry.
The Attorney-General referred Dr. Moussa's case to the Giza Attorney-General and referred the Baha'i villagers case to the Assyout (southern province) Attorney-General because it was felt that the Sohag office of the attorney might be biased against them. During that visit in Cairo, large crowds were present--many of whom were supportive--as well as riot police and security forces. Also present were several representatives from various media agencies, including al-Gazirah channel which has recorded interviews with those present. The media was not permitted to enter the building of the State Council [Maghlis al-Dawlah].
al-Ahram article (burning of 5 homes), dated 1 April 2009
A very informative book about the Baha'i Faith by Drs. Wendi and Moojan Momen, first published in 2007 by Dunedin Academic Press, was recently translated to Arabic and is now available for orders from bookstores. This is indeed a very welcome addition to the growing range of materials in the Arabic language about the Baha'i religion.
In an article published today in Arabic, with a version in English, Al Arabiya reported that following Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court decision to allow the Baha'is obtain identification documents with no religious classification entered, the ruling National Democratic Party announced that "the government was studying the possibility of removing the religion section from all identification cards following a similar move in Lebanon."
Even though Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court has, on 16 March 2009, ruled in favor of the Baha'is allowing them to obtain identity documents with dashes [--] entered in place of religion, there remain many obstacles to the normalization of their status in Egypt. This can be easily perceived when reading the recent editorials and reports in several Egyptian newspaper articles.
Emad & Nancy Raouf Hindi in the courtroom on 16 March
