EIPR/ HRW report on denial of religious freedom in Egypt

Today, EIPR published its joint report (with HRW) on the persecution of Baha'is within Egypt. This report is an excellent account of the way in which the Egyptian government denies freedom of religion within Egypt. Basically, all national ID cards (cards that are essential for routine activities such as enrolling in university, acquiring a driving license, travelling, drawing a pension etc...) require that the individual declares his or her religion. There are only 3 religions that can be selected: Muslim, Christian and Jew. There is no option for a blank. This means that the Bahai community in Egypt is denied basic rights and discriminated against in a terrible manner. Also, individuals who convert from Islam to Christianity face charges of apostasy and are denied the ID cards.

There was an impressive press conference held at our office today, with a range of foreign and Egyptian journalists. I was happy to see a report on the BBC website this evening:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7091412.stm