Blogger: Baha’i Faith in Egypt
Article: Egypt: Symposium on Constitutional Reforms
Originaly Posted On: 2006-11-23 16:01:00

The Egyptian newspaper “al-Masry al-Youm” reported today on the role of the Baha’is in an important national symposium held in Cairo at the Marriott hotel in Zamalek. In its headline, it stated “the Legal Case [concerning] the Recognition of the Baha’i [Faith] Has Affirmed [placed] Itself in Front of the Constitutional Reforms Symposium.” It is subtitled “Baha’is: Present in Egypt for 170 Years…We Demand ID Cards Without Religion.”

In its extended coverage, the newspaper described in great detail the statements made by the Baha’is during this session. They presented a complete historical background of the Baha’i Faith in Egypt as well as the details of their current struggle, the consequences of their inability to obtain ID Cards, and the violation of their civil and human rights in Egypt.

A number of Egyptian Baha’is were officially invited to participate in this national symposium on constitutional reforms, and in particular to participate in discussions related to the necessary reforms to critical issues such as in Article-2 of the Egyptian constitution which states: “Islam is the Religion of the State. Arabic is its official language, and the principal source of legislation is Islamic Jurisprudence (Sharia).”

This second session of the symposium (the first was held on 7 November 2006), which is sponsored by an Egyptian organization named Partners in Development (For Research, Consulting and Training) in collaboration with the German foundation Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, was held on Tuesday, 21 November 2006. It is estimated that their work on the constitution will continue for the next six months. The session was entitled “Religion and Politics in the Egyptian Constitution.”

Near the conclusion of the session Dr. Yehiah al-Gamal (pictured in the article), who is a Professor of Constitutional Law, stated that “Islam does not know [recognize] a nation based on religion because Islam is a belief, and that the modern nation’s foundation is only based on citizenship.” he went on to clarify that “differentiation between a citizen and another based on belief is discrimination, which is in violation of the Egyptian constitution because all citizens are equal before the law; whether citizens are Muslims, Christians, Baha’is, Buddhists or irreligious, they are still all equal before the law.”

The Baha’is were also invited to the next session entitled “The Nation’s Economic and Social Role in the Constitution.” In addition to the Baha’is, several prominent leaders, specialists and scholars representing the Egyptian society were invited to contribute to the symposium.

This important symposium is well timed with the current push by President Mubarak to implement progressive constitutional reforms in Egypt as was presented in his recent speech on 19 November at the opening of the Egyptian parliamentarian session this past Sunday.