Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) highlight that all Egyptian citizens should be allowed to declare their real religious identity.
Civil rights groups have recently criticised Egypt again for forcing believers in minority faiths and those who have converted from Islam to lie about their true faith in official government papers.
As one of the most populated countries in Africa, Egypt is made up of different religious beliefs but only three are officially recognised with the others, along with atheists and agnostics, living somewhere underground, too afraid of the State to risk sharing their beliefs.
Despite the Egyptian authorities allowing religious freedom in principle, in reality it doesn’t happen. Many minority faiths – and those who have converted away from Islam – are excluded from Egyptian life and even from a dignified death.
Egypt and ID Cards
All Egyptians aged over 16 have to carry ID cards which includes their religious belief. Yet only three choices are available – Muslim, Christian and Jew.
Human Rights Watch says that some minority groups are particularly affected, like the Baha’i community, which numbers around 2,000 and the Coptic Christians who became Muslims but want to convert back again.
Why ID Cards are Necessary
Egyptian ID cards were updated and computerised in the 1990s in an effort to combat militant Islamic unrest, improve data collection and access, being shown at police checkpoints.
Without them, people face enormous problems in education, employment, travel and healthcare. ID cards are also needed for death certificates, driver’s licenses, pension claims and even for childhood immunisations.
Why People are Designated with the Wrong Religion
There is a large group who come from Christian families but became Muslims when their fathers converted to Islam, before they left the family. Despite being raised as Christians, their Christianity isn’t recognised because of their Muslim fathers, so when the children get their ID cards they are automatically listed as Muslim without an option to change it.
The ID card system prevents converts from Islam and members of minority faiths from registering their religious beliefs.
Furthermore, the State has pressurised Egyptians into converting to Islam, threatening to refer some people for criminal investigations if they refuse.
What Egypt Can Do
The ID cards scandal has already reached court several times over the last few years and, although the Baha’i community has generally agreed to a fourth, “other” category, being included on the ID cards, this has not so far happened.
The State needs to move its ID card system into the 21st century and allow for the inclusion of all faiths. Such a restrictive system as is currently used doesn’t mean that some faiths are more important than others, but it does illustrate the closed and discriminatory nature of religious followers. ID cards should focus on nationality, not religion.
