In an important decision handed down on Monday, Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court held that Baha'is in the country can obtain official identification cards with no religious preference listed on them. Previously the government had required Baha'is to list one of the three official religions-- Islam, Christianity or Judaism-- on their identity papers. In practice, Baha'is often refused to do so and went without the identification papers needed to access education and health care. Yesterday's Gulf News, reports on the decision that ends a 5-year legal battle. A spokesman for Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights described the result as "a victory for civic rights for all Egyptians." (See prior related posting.) The decision, however, does not overrule a 2006 ruling by the same court that bars affirmative listing of the Baha'i faith on ID cards. (See prior posting.)
UPDATE: Human Rights Watch reported in an April 15 article that the Court's decision has been implemented. On March 19 Interior Minister General Habib al-Adly signed a decree (full text in Arabic) instructing officials in the Civil Status Department of the ministry to place a dash before the line reserved for religion in the official identification documents of Egyptian citizens who demonstrate that they or their ancestors were followers of a non-recognized religion. The decree was published in the Official Gazette on April 14 and entered into force on April 15.
