Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

May 2010

(Covering April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010)

A newly released report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found a serious problems of discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations against members of religious minorities, as well as disfavored Muslims, remain widespread in Egypt. The reporting period marked s significant upsurge in violence targeting Coptic Orthodox Christians.

The report indicated that the Egyptian government has not taken sufficient steps to halt the repression of and discrimination against Christians and other religious believers, or, in many cases, to punish those responsible for violence or other severe violations of religious freedom. This increase in violence, and the failure to prosecute those responsible, fosters a growing climate of impunity. Implementation of previous court rulings - related to granting official identity documents to Baha'is and changing religious affiliation on identity documents for Christian converts - has been limited and subject to onerous delays.

Due to persistent and serious concerns, Egypt remains on USCIRF's Watch List in 2010. Egypt has been on the Watch List since 2002. USCIRF traveled to Egypt in January 2010 to assess religious freedom conditions in the country. The visit took place just weeks after six Coptic Christians and one Muslim were killed outside a church on Coptic Christmas eve in the town of Naga Hammadi. This incident served as a wake-up call to growing sectarian tensions and other religious freedom issues. Other needed reforms also should be immediately implemented, such as removing religion from official identity documents and passing a unified law for the construction and repair of places of worship.

In addition, All Baha'i institutions and community activities have been banned since 1960 by a presidential decree. As a result, Baha'is, who number approximately 2,000 in Egypt, are unable to meet or engage in group religious activities. Over the years, Baha'is have been arrested and imprisoned because of their religious beliefs, often on charges of insulting Islam.

Almost all Baha'i community members are known to the state security services, and many are regularly subject to surveillance and other forms of harassment. Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center has issued fatwas in recent years urging the continued ban on the Baha'i community and condemning Baha'is as apostates.

Intolerance of Baha'is has increased in both the independent and government-controlled media in recent years. In March 2009, several Baha'i homes in a village in the Sohag province were vandalized by Muslim villagers. Egyptian human rights groups immediately condemned the violence and contended that a contributing factors to the attacks was incitement by a media commentator who, during a television program, labeled an individual member of the Baha'i faith an apostate and called for her to be killed. According to the Egyptian Interior Ministry, several alleged perpetrators were arrested; however, it is unclear if they were released. More than one year after the incident, there has been no investigation or prosecution related to the attacks.

In March 2009, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected a final legal challenge to a 2008 lower court ruling that required the Egyptian government to issue national identification documents to three Baha'i plaintiffs containing a dash or other mark in the space designated for religious affiliation. Until this ruling, identification documents permitted registration in only one of the three officially approved faiths - Islam, Christianity, or Judaism - thereby effectively preventing Baha'is from gaining the official recognition necessary to have access to numerous public services, and without which it is illegal to go out in public.

Since the 2008 decision, the government has issued birth certificates to at least 120 Baha'is, documents which it previously refused to issue. In addition, approximately 20-30 single male and female Baha'is have received identity cards. However, no married couples have been able to received identity cards because the Egyptian government does not recognize Baha'i marriages. Over the past few years, some Baha'is lost their jobs and a few young Baha'is were dismissed from universities because they did not have identity cards.

Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei Stresses the need for recognition the Baha'i Faith as a Religion in Egypt

Dr. Mohamed Elbaradei, The former Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who declared himself a candidate for the Presidency in Egypt. He stresses the need for recognition the Baha'i Faith as a Religion in Egypt from the point of freedom of Religion.

The Egyptian Society are confused for ideas outside their religious leaders teachings and is simultaneously attempt to demolish the structure of the Egyptian society and distract their thoughts.

Article from the Copts United: http://www.copts-united.com/article.php?I=410&A=16454

At the same time the Egyptian Baha'is still suffering to receive their Government Identification cards and to be treated as first class citizens. The Egyptian Government Policy of writing the religions on the identity documents is not acceptable and should be removed.

Hussein Bikar

Hussein Bikar represents rare combination of artist and distinguished critic. Bikar is known not only for his portraits but also as a talented caricaturist. Bikar remained faithful to traditional models of portraiture and throughout a long career had no shortage of sitters happy for the artist to produce his realistic portraits which often, too, included details culled from ancient Egyptian. Bikar was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 2 January 1913.

After graduating from Cairo's legendary Faculty of Fine Arts in 1933, he became a teaching assistant the same year, then a Director of the Photography department. Bikar subsequently became a Professor in the Painting Department, and ultimately IT’S Chair.

In 1945 He began his career in journalism when he became one of the founding fathers of the prestigious Akhbar Al-Yom newspaper, doing drawings often accompanied by his own vernacular poems. Bikar became a towering figure on the Egyptian arts scene in late 1950.

In January, 1952 he was instrumental in starting a weekly children's magazine Al-Sindbad, for which he was--along with "Sarookhan" and "Rakha"--its main cartoonist and illustrator.



In 1959, Bikar abandoned a teaching career to work in journalism as an illustrator and cartoonist: known for his sensuous, elongated lines, Bikar's work broke new ground in media art and was both accessible and sophisticated. He was also an outstanding musician, and during his career as an artist and critic at Al-Akhbar, he often sought out and encouraged young talents.


Bikar was also one of the founders of Cairo's Helwan Wax Museum. Over the years, Mr. Bikar had taught thousands of students at the Faculty of Fine Arts and became Egypt's most celebrated painter. His talent and artistic excellence became recognized worldwide.

The Helwan Wax Museum is a small public museum located in the Cairo, Egypt suburb of Helwan, close to the Ain Helwan Metro station. It contains exhibits of wax sculptures demonstrating important figures from Egyptian history and idealized traditional Egyptian culture.

Bikar, has been very much in the lime light as most publications in Egypt have been dedicating special sections to pay tribute to a long and distinguished career.

Bikar was honored with several awards including, the State Merit award in 1978, the Merit Medal award in 1980, Finally in June 2000 the Presidential Award from the Egyptian President Mr. Mubarak. He donated the full LE 100,000 of his prize to the Children's Cancer Hospital in Cairo.

Bikar became attracted to the Baha'i Faith in the 1930s and accepted it shortly after as his religion. He became a staunch supporter of its Institutions, and upholder of its principles. He also served on its key administrative functions. In the 1980s He was repeatedly interrogated and arrested simply because he was a Baha'i. Despite his numerous contributions to Egyptian Society, he died without having access to an Egyptian identity card because of his beliefs in the Baha’i Faith.

Bikar is widely regarded as a classic of modern Egyptian painting. Selections from his work can be seen at the Egyptian Modern Art Museum in Gezira, Cairo and the local museum of El-Gouna
El-Gouna
El Gouna is a tourist resort, developed and owned by Orascom Hotels and Development, dating from about 1990, It is located on the Red Sea in Egypt, 22 km north of Hurghada International Airport.


"I opened a window for hope to seep onto a dark soil a dough mixed with blood and a martyr The setting sun glimpsed through a crack in the prison wall through the wire and the iron it crept and there my vision started All at once I looked up a flight of pigeons filled the distance As though someone was celebrating a feast unveiling a happiness I praised the ways of God transforming the ancient a new this land, this Egypt awakens too, from old decrepit age, sheds all wrinkles and is again a youthful bride."

Hussein Bikar

موال ربيعي فتحت شباك الأمل على ارض سمرة معجونة بدم الشهيد ولمحت شمس الأصيل مسجونة جوه قفص من سلك وحديد وفجأة بصيت لفوق لقيت أسراب الحمام مليا القريب والبعيد وفرحانة بالوشوش اللي بتبنيها وكأنه مهرجان أو عيد قلت سبحانك يارب قادر تبدل العتيق بالجديد وتصبح مصر عروسه زمانها شباب من غيرتجاعيد

حسين بيكار

Muslims Villagers attack homes of Baha'is in Egypt

Burning Baha'i homes in Egypt

Assaults committed against Egyptian Baha'is over the past several days in the southern City of Sohag. In a complaint filed in April 02, 2009 the Egyptian Baha'is 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 attacks began on Saturday evening, March 28, 2009 in the village of al-Shuraniya, located in the Maragha district of Sohag, when dozens of Muslims 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 the Baha'i Houses.

On March 31, 2009 at approximately 7 pm, the attacks escalated when some Muslims residents of the village 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 Baha'is said that the attackers broke or disabled the water connections to their homes to prevent them from putting out the fires. The Muslims attackers also broke into the Baha'is houses, vandalizing property inside and stealing some electrical appliances and livestock.

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 dispersed the Muslim attackers; there was no information that any of the attackers had been arrested.

In April 01, 2009 the Egyptian 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 forced to leave their own houses and move to another City 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 TV Channel Dream 2 on March 28, 2009 which discussed the Baha'i New Year celebration . The program featured a Baha'i from al-Shuraniya and Baha'i activist and dentistry professor Dr. Basma Musa. Also participating in the program a Muslim Journalist Gamal Abd al-Rahim that pronouncing all Baha'is as apostates and urges their killing.

Gamal Abd al-Rahim during the program, said referring to Dr. Basma, "This one should be killed." On March 31, only hours before the homes of the Baha'is were torched in al-Shuraniya, al-Gomhouriya an Egyptian Newspaper 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 Islam religion and beliefs."

The Muslim 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 Islam religious institute of the village.

Update: Media coverage
El Gazira Channel

El Mohawar Channel, 48 Hours Program:

U.S. Department of State - 2008 Human Rights Report: Egypt

February 25, 2009

The National Democratic Party (NDP) has governed the Arab Republic of Egypt, which has a population of approximately 82 million, since the party's establishment in 1978. The NDP, which continued to dominate national politics by maintaining an overriding majority in the popularly elected People's Assembly (PA) and the partially elected Shura (Consultative) Council, derives its governing authority from the 1971 constitution and subsequent amendments. Executive authority resides with the president and the cabinet. In 2005 President Hosni Mubarak won a fifth consecutive six-year term with 88 percent of the vote in the country's first presidential election, which was marred by low voter turnout and charges of fraud. The civilian authorities did not always maintain effective control of security forces, who committed numerous, serious abuses of human rights.

The government's respect for human rights remained poor, and serious abuses continued in many areas. The government limited citizens' right to change their government and continued a state of emergency that has been in place almost continuously since 1967. Security forces used unwarranted lethal force and tortured and abused prisoners and detainees, in most cases with impunity. Prison and detention center conditions were poor. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and detained individuals, in some cases for political purposes, and kept them in prolonged pretrial detention. The executive branch placed limits on and pressured the judiciary. The government's respect for freedoms of press, association, and religion declined during the year, and the government continued to restrict other civil liberties, particularly freedom of speech, including Internet freedom, and freedom of assembly, including restrictions on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Government corruption and lack of transparency persisted.

The government made significant and effective efforts to combat female genital mutilation (FGM). These efforts included education, outreach, and the passage and enforcement of legislation criminalizing FGM. In addition, courts issued the first two convictions on sexual assault charges.

The constitution provides for freedom of belief and the practice of religious rites; however, the government restricted the exercise of these rights. According to the constitution, Islam is the official state religion, and Shari'a (Islamic law), the primary source of legislation. Religious practices that conflict with the government's interpretation of Shari'a are prohibited.
Members of non-Muslim religious minorities officially recognized by the government generally worshiped without harassment and maintained links with coreligionists in other countries.

Members of religions not recognized by the government, particularly Baha'is, experienced personal and collective hardship. Religious groups seeking recognition must submit a request to the MOI, which determines whether, in its view, the group would pose a threat to national security or social order. The MOI also consults leading religious figures, particularly the pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the sheikh of Al-Azhar. The last official recognition of a religious group occurred in 1990. The government did not recognize marriages of citizens adhering to faiths other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, nor did it recognize conversions of Muslim-born citizens to other religions.

The law prohibited blasphemy and the "denigration of religions." Though there were no reported prosecutions, at least one Koranist was arrested and was being held without charges at year's end. The government prosecuted members of religious groups whose practices deviated from mainstream Islamic beliefs and whose activities were believed to jeopardize communal harmony.

The law bans Baha'i institutions and community activities and stripped Baha'is of legal recognition. The government continued to deny civil documents, including ID cards, birth certificates, and marriage licenses to members of the Baha'i community. The MOI requires identity card applicants to self-identify as a Jew, Christian, or Muslim. As a result, Baha'is faced difficulties in conducting civil transactions, including registering births, marriages, and deaths, obtaining passports, enrolling children in schools, and opening bank accounts. During the year Baha'is were compelled either to misrepresent themselves as Muslim, Christian or Jewish, or go without valid identity documents. Many Baha'is chose the latter course.

Traditional practices and some aspects of the law discriminated against religious minorities, including Christians and particularly Baha'is. The law requires non-Muslims to obtain a presidential decree to build a new place of worship. In addition, MOI regulations, issued in 1934 under the Al-Ezabi decree, specify a set of 10 conditions the government must consider before a presidential decree for construction of a new non-Muslim place of worship can be issued. The conditions include the requirement that the distance between a church and a mosque not be less than 100 meters (328 feet) and that approval of the neighboring Muslim community be obtained before a permit to build a new church may be issued.

You could read the whole report at: 2008 Human Rights Report: Egypt

المجلس القيادى الامريكى - وضع حقوق الانسان فى مصر مفجع - المصرى اليوم June 30, 2008

كتب عمرو بيومي ٣٠/٦/٢٠٠٨
أصدر المجلس القيادي لحقوق الإنسان بواشنطن LCHR بياناً صحفياً يؤيد فيه مشروع القرار رقم ١٣٠٣ والخاص بمطالبة الحكومة المصرية باحترام حقوق الإنسان وحرية العقيدة وحرية التعبير، الذي تقدم به للكونجرس الأمريكي السيناتور فرانك ولف.

وأعرب المجلس القيادي لحقوق الإنسان، في بيان نشره علي موقعه الإلكتروني، عن تقديره لـ«ولف» كرئيس مشارك للجنة حقوق الإنسان بالكونجرس، لتقديمه هذا القرار، الذي يفصل انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان في مصر - علي حد زعم البيان - ضد الأقليات الدينية، والصحفيين والمدونين، ودعاة الديمقراطية، ومنظمات تنمية المجتمع المدني.

وأشار البيان إلي أن القرار يحث أيضا الرئيس الأمريكي جورج بوش ووزيرة الخارجية الأمريكية كوندوليزا رايس علي وضع حقوق الإنسان والحرية الدينية علي قمة أولوياتهما في اجتماعاتهما مع المسؤولين المصريين.

ووصف البيان الوضع الحقوقي في مصر بـ«الأمر المفجع»، موضحاً أنه أدي إلي عدم قدرة الكثيرين علي المطالبة أو التمتع بحقوقهم، نتيجة لما اعتبره البيان «انتهاجاً لسياسة القمع علي نطاق واسع».

وقال: «الأقليات الدينية في مصر مثل الأقباط والبهائيين معرضون للتمييز علي جميع المستويات، ومعهم المعارضون السياسيين لنظام الحكم، ومن بينهم أيمن نور، الذي تم استهدافه وسجنه»، لافتاً إلي أن الرئيس حسني مبارك وعد بإجراء إصلاحات ديمقراطية، مراراً وتكراراً «دون الوفاء بذلك».

وطالب البيان الشعب الأمريكي بالاتصال بعضو الكونجرس الذي يمثلهم، للمشاركة في دعم مشروع القرار ١٣٠٣، مشيراً إلي أن هذا الدعم أمر حيوي ومهم لنجاح هذا القرار، والذي إذا تم إقراره، فإنه - حسب ما جاء في البيان - سيكون رسالة قوية للرئيس مبارك، مفادها أنه علي مصر احترام حقوق الإنسان.