Egypt: "Identity Crisis" Entire Film Now Available!

The documentary film produced by the independent filmmaker, Mr. Ahmed Ezzat, has been just made public for free viewing in its entirety on an internet site. The 34-minutes film, "Identity Crisis: My Religion or My Country," documents in vivid details the struggle of the Egyptian Baha'is in search for their basic civil rights in their homeland. Mr. Ahmed Ezzat is not a Baha'i. He is an Egyptian human rights activist who has graciously provided this film for public viewing at his own expense and on his own precious time.

To view the entire film, please CLICK HERE....
(This version does not include subtitles)

Previously published promotional segment on YouTube

P.S. When linking to the website, under the film's image--written in Arabic--are three choices for downloading: high speed (top one), medium speed (middle one) or low speed (bottom one) copies of the film.

Egypt: Media Coverage on Showing of Film on Baha'i Rights

The Egyptian newspaper el-Badeel, in its 28 August 2007 edition, published an article about the recent documentary film made by the independent film maker Mr. Ahmed Ezzat. The article is authored by Khaled Abdel-Rasoul and Sarah El-Masry and is entitled "First Film on the Baha'i Quagmire in Egypt."

The film, titled "My Belief or My Country [Identity Crisis]," was shown at Egypt's Cinematic Cultural Centre upon the invitation of the Egyptian Film Critics Association on 26 August. Previously, this film was invited for showing at the last Alexandria Film Festival, but was banned by Egypt's security and censorship agencies. The documentary is 34 minutes long, and required approximately 35 hours of filming and 300 hours of montage.

The film's director, Ahmed Ezzat, stated that "the principal reason for him to handle the Baha'i case was for the cause of justice and not religion, because human rights cannot be partial, but should be applicable to all." He also added that "the film was produced entirely at his own expense." It is of note that Ahmed Ezzat is an Egyptian Muslim.

Following the film's showing, a heated discussion ensued at the exhibition hall, which was crowded with human rights activists, film makers and critics, thinkers, members of the Baha'i community and the general public. The discussion focused on the issues raised by the film as well as those facing Egypt, such as citizenship, freedom of belief, religious classification on ID cards, and freedom related litigation cases in general.

The film's promotional piece is posted below. The film, in its entirety, will soon be available for viewing. When such time arrives, an announcement will be made on this site.

Banned Film Gets Prominent Media Coverage in Egypt

Yesterday, 16 June 2007, AlMasry AlYoum Egyptian newspaper reported on the banning of a documentary film that has exposed the human rights crisis facing the Baha'is of Egypt.

The article, written by Muhammad Abd El-Khaleq Mussahel, states the following:

Banning of Documentary Film Regarding the Baha'is in Egypt

[State] Security authorities banned the release of a new documentary film regarding the Baha'is in Egypt. It prevented attempts of spreading its viewing and advertising it. The forbidden film is entitled "Identity Crisis Between My Religion or My Country: The Baha'i Quagmire in Egypt."

The Film's promotional clips, which were posted on the "Baha'i Faith in Egypt" site, begin with a thickly bearded man, referred to in the film as one of the opposing Islamist lawyers, who was present at the 16 December 2006 session of the [Supreme] Administrative Court that issued a ruling against the Baha'is. This was when [he] was talking about the special punishment reserved for those that tarnish the land, requesting its application on the Baha'is, represented in death, Crucifixion, amputating their hands and legs, or exiling [them from earth].

Following the publication of this newspaper article, several sites reported on its content, including "U.S. Copts Association" and "Misryon [Egyptians] Against Religious Discrimination (MARED)."

The promotion for the film, produced by the independent documentary film maker, Ahmed Ezzat, which was posted previously on 6 June 2007, is included again below. As soon as the entire film becomes available, an announcement to that effect will be posted here.

Yet Another Documentary Film on Egyptian Baha'is

Al Fanar for Media Production, an Egyptian commercial film company has just completed a full feature documentary, in Arabic, on the Baha'is of Egypt. This objective film, entitled "Baha'is and Egyptians" deals with the principles of the Baha'i Faith, its origin, its history and introduction into Egypt, as well as all the challenges it faced in that land. It also investigates and reports the recent crisis facing the Egyptian Baha'is, being deprived of government-issued ID cards, with the punitive consequences affecting their daily living. The film also covers in great detail the Baha'i teachings for humanity, its laws and its independent distinguishing features.

An obviously somber short promo for the film is posted below. It depicts the sense of suffering and oppression currently experienced by the Egyptian Baha'is. In it, one can see some Egyptian Baha'is chanting a prayer in dignity, clips of interviews with individual Baha'is, with some who support them and with some of those who oppose and insult the Baha'is of Egypt. It ends with an Egyptian Baha'i praying in the privacy of his home.

In spite of the oppression, these citizens clearly remain firm in their belief and resolute in their determination to ultimately obtain all the rights due to them, according to the guarantees of Egypt's constitution.

As soon as information on how to obtain the full feature film (DVD) become available, it will be posted here.



The Promotional segment can also be seen here....