Changing Times Blog

Looting of Baha’i homes in Egypt

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):

A thorough 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 is available here on bahai-egypt.org. Share this with your friends.

Egypt close to Pro-Baha’i verdict

Update: The Supreme Administrative Court has delayed issuing a final verdict to the 2nd of February.

(MNBR) We are pleased to announce that today, the challenge launched by a lawyer against the January 29 ruling [the ruling had been in favor of the Baha'is] has been rejected!

For 5 years, Raouf Hindi has fought for the right to obtain birth certificates for his twins teenaged twins Imad and Nancy, but despite the landmark ruling last year, implementation was stalled by the challenges and appeals launched.

However, it is still early to declare a full victory for Egypt’s Baha’is. In two days, the Supreme Administrative Court is set to issue a final verdict on the appeal, but it is likely that that ruling will be in favour of Egypt’s Baha’is as well, as the appeal has no legal standing.

The lack of ID cards has rendered Egypt’s Baha’is has rendered them virtually non-existent in the eyes of the state, and we share with them their joy over this ruling, and join them in praying and hoping for a brighter future to come.

Q. Just how significant is the upcoming ruling for Egypt’s Baha’is?
From an interview with Dr. Basma Moussa, a Baha’i blogger and activist, on the upcoming ruling

It’s significance is that it would finally allow Baha’is to practise their civil rights like all other Egyptian citizens, after a period of suffering that has lasted for over 5 years – a suffering that was caused by our inability to obtain identification papers. Baha’i parents have been unable to obtain birth certificates and immunize children who were born during this period, and those who passed away have yet to be issued death certificates, in effect denying their widows the right to pensions. And due to the inability to obtain ID cards, all Baha’is – both children and adults – face the following problems:

• They cannot move freely within Egypt [those found w/o ID cards are subject to imprisonment]
• They cannot certify their marriage certificates
• They cannot obtain passports
• They cannot perform any bank transactions
• They cannot carry out transactions in traffic departments
• They cannot enrol their children in schools or universities
• Their children cannot clarify their position concerning conscription
• They cannot apply for jobs or obtain work permits
• They are denied health care
• They cannot buy, sell, or own property

From our friends at the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights

Worldwide Prayer Chain

A group of Spanish youth have globalized the prayer chain system. Tomorrow, the 20th of October, the Supreme Court in Egypt will take its decision regarding an appeal to Cairo’s Administrative Court’s ruling that Baha’is would be able to obtain identification cards. Read more on this story at http://www.bahai-egypt.org/

For the past week, Baha’is from around the world could sign up to pray for 15 minutes on October 20th, to give the Court’s decision-making process a nice spiritual boost. Almost 100 people have signed up, now no time slots are left, but that won’t keep us from joining this brilliant campaign.

Go to http://www.bahaidream.com/horaciones/ and see for yourself. Join the prayer chain!