Would Egypt's New President Enforce Equal Rights and Full Integration for All Minorities?

Based on several recent media reports, Egypt's newly elected president Mohamed Morsi has vowed to be a "leader for all Egyptians" and vowed "to protect citizens' rights"

According to the Guardian's 25 June 2012 report from the Associated Press, the following was stated:

The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi proclaimed himself a leader "for all Egyptians", after being declared the winner of Egypt's first free presidential election on Sunday. 

Speaking on Egyptian television late on Sunday evening, Morsi vowed to "protect the rights of women and children", as well as Christians and Muslims alike. 

"I tell everybody in this memorable day that because of your choice, your will and after God's favour, I am a president for all Egyptians," the 60-year-old engineer and professor said in his speech. 

Morsi sought to reach out to the activists by paying tribute to the nearly 900 protesters killed in the uprising. "I wouldn't have been here between your hands as the first elected president without … the blood, the tears and sacrifices of the martyrs," he said. 

The president-elect declared he had a "message of peace" and that he would respect all international agreements. He did not mention Israel but the remark seemed to be a reassuring indication that he would respect the peace treaty with the country.

One of Egypt's small religious minorities, the Baha'is, remain without their citizenship rights. They are poorly treated by the authorities. They are discriminated against in education and employment, and to this day, many of them remain without identity documents as described earlier in this blog.

Thus, if President Morsi is committed indeed to social justice, equality and the protection of "citizens' rights," as "a president for all Egyptians," only his actions would confirm his words and his proclamations, and there are plentiful opportunities for him to fulfill his promises. It is time for all Egyptian minorities to be fully integrated into their society and to receive their overdue full citizenship rights. They have honorably served their homeland and their fellow citizens for so long, and in return they received nothing but ridicule and repression.

Condolences to the Mubarak Family

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....

To the Baha'is of Egypt: From the Universal House of Justice

The Universal House of Justice, the highest governing body of the Baha'i Faith has just released its message addressed to the Baha'is of Egypt in response to the recent developments affecting the Egyptian Baha'is in their homeland. The original text of the three page letter can be accessed here in English and here in Arabic.

Images of the letter are published here and accompanied by some comments and relevant illustrations. In order to see each page clearly, please click on each image.

In the first paragraph, the Universal House of Justice refers to the recent unjust ruling of Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court, the disappointment it has produced, and the need for the Egyptian Baha'is to stand firm in their quest for their rights, thus not to deprive the Egyptian authorities from the opportunity before them to "correct a wrong which has implications for many others."

The letter then addresses the brave efforts made by the many members and agencies of the Egyptian society that stood in support of their Baha'i brothers and sisters when it stated "Moreover, to relent would be to disregard the moral courage of these organizations, media, and persons of goodwill who have joined their voices to yours in the quest for a just solution to a serious inequity."

In the second paragraph, the letter addresses the issue at hand, and that the presiding judge in his statements "misses the essence, obscures the issue" of the case before the court, which is the necessity for Egyptian Baha'is to "...simply wish to be free to carry out the requirement of civil law that you [they] must obtain identification cards without making false statement about your [their] religious beliefs."

It also comments on the court's misuse of the validity of the other "three of the divine religions" in its attempt to discredit the Baha'i Faith and to "justify the exclusion of certain citizens from exercising their civil rights..." amounting to "a misuse of the authority of these Faiths to perpetrate an injustice that offends the high standard of justice to which they hold their adherents...."

It then states "The ruling was unreasonable not only because it is contrary to prescriptions set forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a signatory, but more especially because the sacred scriptures of Islam extol tolerance as a precept of social stability."

The third paragraph addresses the landmark decision of 1925 in which a southern Egyptian [Beba] religious court in its attempt to denounce the Baha'i Faith and annulling the marriages of three men because of becoming Baha'is has "arrived at the accurate conclusion that the Baha'i Faith was a new religion, entirely independent, with beliefs, principles and laws of its own." And that "verdict was sanctioned at the time by Egypt's highest ecclesiastical authorities." For further reading regarding that historic event, one can refer to this previous post.


Baha'i women and girls in an Egyptian prison in Tanta in 1972 (93 Baha'is were arrested then)

In the fourth paragraph, the Universal House of Justice refers to the history of the Baha'i Faith in Egypt when it took root during the lifetime of Baha'u'llah. It spoke of the freedoms enjoined by the Baha'is and their Institutions, particularly when the National Spiritual Assembly was incorporated as early as 1934, and until "...suddenly in 1960, without forewarning, Presidential Decree no. 263 was issued, banning your national and local institutions and confiscating your properties and other assets." It then spoke of the five decades of "humiliation of all kinds, including the harassment of police surveillance and false arrests." The letter then addressed the misinformation being propagated in the Egyptian society in attempts to prove the unworthiness of Baha'is of the public's trust, while there has been much to confirm the noteworthy contributions by Egyptian Baha'is "towards fostering the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural character of the Egyptian people."

A clear representation of this has been the example of their "late Baha'i compatriot Hussein Bikar, who, despite having received a presidential award honoring his outstanding achievements as an artist, was denied an Egyptian identification card up until the time of his death." Mr. Bikar, for his exceptional talent was recognized by all Egyptians as a National Treasure. A tribute to his life and works of art can be viewed at this previous post.

The next three paragraphs reflect on "the broad context in which the recent action of the Supreme Administrative Court occurred, that from it you [Egyptian Baha'is] may derive an ever-larger sense of meaning and purpose." Here, the Universal House of Justice demonstrates how the Egyptian Baha'is have been put into a position, not only to defend their rights in their homeland, but also to uphold justice and defend the rights of minorities everywhere else. The letter speaks of the widespread presence of injustice throughout the world afflicting "every department of life whether in the home, at the workplace, or in the public sphere as a consequence of the ill conduct of individuals, groups, or governments." It also speaks of the current crisis taken in the context of "global connotation" and the responsibility placed on Egyptian Baha'is to strive, "...guided by the principles of the Faith and in collaboration with others whenever possible, to combat injustice, for the common good."

Labib Mu'awad and several other attorneys defending the 93 arrested Egyptian Baha'is in 1972 (some of whom were under-aged girls)

In its last paragraph, the Universal House of Justice addresses the various groups in Egypt who have shown their staunch support for the rights of the Baha'is. The whole paragraph is quoted here:

"Those groups supporting you in your current encounter are of a world-embracing vision and are themselves prepared to withstand the harsh resistance to their selfless occupation, sustaining blows of injustice in the process. As the rise of justice ensures the appearance of unity in the world, all who take on the formidable challenges of struggling for it have indeed captured the spirit of the age epitomized in the principle of oneness."

Bloggers and Human Rights Activists Supporting the Baha'is at the Supreme Court on 16 December 2006

"To the extent that the fight for justice contributes to the establishment of a single global standard of human rights, the organizations in Egypt so engaged are working towards achieving the unification of their nation's peoples. They are thus committing themselves in large measure to the vital task of reconciling the tensions that bedevil their society and delay the attainment of its unity. Such reconciliation should not be impossible to Egypt's people, who can take pride in the celebrated enlightenment that in a glorious past ensured their unity in a flourishing society. Undoubtedly, Egypt will rise to participate, as befits its stature, in the fruition of that destiny of world peace and prosperity of which all nations dream."

The letter concludes by offering prayers in the Holy Shrines, not only for each and every one of the members of the Egyptian Baha'i community, but also for all their compatriots "in that land of ancient splendor."

Relevant and Subsequent Development

Today, President Hosni Mubarak gave an important speech (Arabic Version) to a joint session of the Egyptian Parliament and to the nation regarding his plans to amend 34 articles of the Egyptian constitution. Here are some quotes from his truly enlightened speech:
(read complete English version here)

"Today, as we take this historic step towards developing our democracy, and as we recall our past progress and what we managed to achieve in the face of internal, regional and international challenges, I thank God, and am proud of this nation. And my confidence in our future progress is multifold"

"I had a clear vision of future of the country that won the confidence of the people and their support last year. I have vision of a modern Egyptian society which preserves freedom, elevates the value of citizenship and strengthens the role of citizens in the political process; A modern and developed society that lays the foundations of democracy and supports its day to day practice."

"The people entrusted and supported me in their first competitive presidential elections on Egyptian soil. As president of all Egyptians, I am responsible before the people; bearing the burdens of leadership and protecting the interest of the nation and her citizens. In fulfillment of the pledge I made last year, and of my responsibility as President, and exercising my competencies under Article 189 of the Constitution, I call upon the People's representatives to amend 34 articles of the Constitution, with the aim of bringing about a tangible leap that will open new horizons for our democracy."

"My request is meant to assert the idea, value and principle of citizenship. We are all Egyptians. We are all citizens of this homeland and we are all equal in rights and duties before the law without discrimination based on creed or religion [in the Arabic version (on Radio) he used the words Aqyida, Ta'effah & Deen; meaning belief, congregation & religion]. Over the course of our history, we have never been exposed to religious or sectarian division."

"Being aware of this and as I follow the sectarian and confessional divisions that the region is witnessing, I am determined to protect our society, Muslims and Copts, and confront practices that seek to circumvent the law and undermine the cultural heritage of the Egyptian people; practices that mix religion with politics and politics with religion, which spread discord and extremism, and which seek conflict between the two wings of our nation."

"Yes, I am responsible for all this before the people, as I am responsible before history. I speak to you and behind me lie long years I have spent in the service of the nation, protecting its skies, territory and sovereignty, preserving her independence and self determination, and fulfilling the responsibilities with which I have been entrusted."

President Mubarak On Religious Tolerance

As a follow up on the previous post regarding the highly anticipated speech of Egypt's President Mr. Hosni Mubarak given on 19 October 2006, the following are excerpts from a report on the speech. For the full article on Reuters website, please click here.

To view a complete video recording of the speech, please click here.







Egypt's Mubarak blames Muslims for faith's bad image

By Alaa Shahine

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak questioned on Thursday whether Muslims had done enough to change the West's "wrong perceptions" about Islam, which he said was under "ferocious attack".

He also said Islam needed a fresh religious discourse to promote tolerance and uproot extremist views.

"The Muslim world is facing a ferocious attack, describing Islam wrongly and offending Muslims' sacred (symbols and figures) and beliefs," Mubarak said in a speech marking Lailat al-Qadr, the night Muslims believe God started the revelation of the Koran to Prophet Mohammed more than 1400 years ago.

"Don't we Muslims share part of the responsibility for the wrong perceptions about Islam? Have we done our duty in correcting the image of Islam and Muslims?" he said.

"Isn't it the time for a new religious discourse, that teaches people the correct things in their religion ... and promotes the values of tolerance against those of extremism and radicalism?" he said.

It was the most detailed remark yet by the president on the need to reform Islam's jurisprudence to accommodate more moderate views, although critics say the state's control of religious institutions in Egypt has harmed their credibility.

Egypt has been battling radical Islamists since before Mubarak took office. His predecessor Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Islamist militants.

Also, this Associated Press (AP) article regarding the speech was reported in the New York Times, and excerpted here: Muslims have strayed from the essence of Islam and need to return to its principles of "forgiveness, righteousness and reform," he said.

Egypt: President Mubarak Speaks On Religious Tolerance

Al-Ahram newspaper published an article on 14 October 2006 announcing a scheduled speech by Egypt's President Mr. Hosni Mubarak next week on Thursday. In order to read the full article in Arabic, please click on the image to the right.

The evening celebration is hosted by the Ministry of Religious Endowment, and "the important speech will be addressed to the Arab world and the Islamic world."

The speech will focus on "the challenges currently facing the Egyptian Nation, whether from the outside world or from some of its sons [citizens], the duty of Muslims towards these challenges, and how Muslims should behave in a worthy appearance that displays and clarifies the image of Islam of enlightened forgiveness and uprightness shown in action and not only in words."

"The speech will also deal with the responsibility of those preaching and teaching religion towards behaving in accordance with the modern age, ensuring the benevolent respect of other beliefs and religions, and the avoidance of any interference with these beliefs. Emphasis will be placed on the application of the principle of accepting others through the channels of continuous dialogue between followers of all religions for the purpose of world peace and prosperity of humankind."

Egypt: Baha'is File A Complaint With President Mubarak

In response to the recent offensive by Dr. Khaled Abdel-Halim el-Sayouty, professor of Islamic studies at al-Azhar University and the author of a book calling for killing the Baha'is, a formal complaint was just filed with President Mubarak by the Egyptian Baha'is accusing the book's author of fabrication and forgery. The report of this action was published in "Nahdat Misr" (Rise & Renaissance of Egypt) on 2 October 2006, linked here.

Dr. Khaled Abdel-Halim el-Sayouty, under the authority and direction of the Ministry of Religious Endowment and the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Egypt, authored a book entitled, "Baha'ism - its Beliefs and Colonial Goals." It included statements clearly calling for the killing of Baha'is, and was sold for a bargain price of one Egyptian Pound. It was dated June 2006 and consisted of 104 pages. The author of the book has recently hired an attorney and filed a complaint with Egypt's Attorney General alleging that he was defamed and that his reputation with the country's National Security Agency and the Presidency of the Republic has been damaged as he was presumed to promote hatred and terrorism.

In this book, its author wrote:

"[For] this Baha'i 'sect' and its likes of other deadly plagues of thought, the government should recruit all the powers it can muster, in order to stand against it and destroy it. That is because protecting the Islamic faith should rank no less [in its importance] than protecting the bodily ailments (physical sicknesses) that the government so promptly and readily rushes to remedy. Rather, protecting the faith is more important because in faith that is [still] healthy, lies purity of life, and the worship of God. If a nation loses its Faith, it loses its very identity and is overcome by its enemies. Egypt must remember that now and always it has protected Islam and the land of the Muslims since the time it [Egypt] entered the faith of Islam, and it had in the past recaptured Jerusalem and liberated Palestine in the name of Islam, and let us remember that Egypt fought in Ramadan of 1393H – October 1973 under the call of Islam "Allah'u'Akbar" and with this Call and under its banner, it prevailed, and it has to [now] cleanse and purify its land from this 'filth' and throw out this malady so that its affairs come to [the] right order, and so that it remains in the name of Islam, a leader and a rising nation."

He then added:

"al-Azhar urges those in authority in the Arab Republic of Egypt to stand firm against this wrongful congregation which is against the Faith of God and the public order of this society. The judgement of God must be executed against it, the law it deserves must be enforced and must be interred with the dust [dirt] heaped over it together with its teachings. This is protection for all citizens from its apostasy, and its beliefs that are deviant from God's straight path. Those who have committed crimes against the truth [rights] of Islam and their nation, must disappear from life so they will not dare estrange themselves from Islam."

The newspaper reported that according to an acquired copy of the formal complaint to the President of Egypt, Dr. Nabil Mustapha, an Egyptian Baha'i residing in London, stated that al-Azhar's book contains false quotations that violate reality and are inconsistent with the actual Baha'i teachings and writings.

Nabil added that the "Fatawis" pronounced by el-Sayouty in his book (mentioned in the above quotations), promote a state of chaos and anarchy and violate their constitutional guarantees of freedom of belief in the Baha'i Faith as an independent and free-standing religion. This also leads to violation of the legal rights of minorities. He described the statements made by al-Azhar's Islamic Research Council as baseless and devoid of honesty in research and unbiased investigation of the true essence of the principles and goals of the Baha'i Faith. Dr. Nabil Mustapha added that there is insistence on the part of the authors of these "Fatawis" to consider the Baha'is as Muslims [implying apostasy]. He indicated that the majority of Baha'is in the world comes from non-Muslim origins.

In this complaint, the Baha'is invited el-Sayouty to produce another book that would correct the falsities which were promoted in his current book, and to use appropriate and responsible sources.

The newspaper went on to report the response of Mamdouh Ismail, the attorney for the Islamic organizations sponsoring el-Sayouty's case. He is attempting to deny the published statements in the mentioned book and is calling the Baha'is liars!

How could the Baha'is lie about reality that is already in print, and about such ominous statements and "fatwas" calling for the elimination of Baha'is, particularly when such material has been already published and distributed by these individuals, organizations and learned institutions? Is there any logic to this?

In a way, this response is quite typical of such "learned" groups: instead of correcting their actions, investigating the merits of the case and following the path towards truth and justice, they simply resort to calling innocent and honest people "liars!"