CAP Liberté de Conscience Feb 2025
The Egyptian government has remained consistent in its persecution of the Bahá’ís, as has been shown in a recent European Parliamentary written question. The Bahá’í International Community reports that “Egyptian authorities have stepped up their persecution of Bahá’ís through administrative and legal procedures that attack the core of their human rights”.
This discrimination is said to have started way back in 1960 when Gamal Abdel Nasser issued a presidential decree that effectively made it illegal to practice the Bahá’í Faith. This decree, Law 263/1960, is a direct attack on the religious freedom of Bahá’ís and has the following provisions:
- Prohibition of all forms of Bahá’í institutional activities
- Dissolution of all the structures of the Bahá’í institutions
- Continued seizure of Bahá’í properties
The forms of discrimination that are current today are very disturbing. Egyptian authorities have:
- Refused to issue national identity cards to Bahá’ís
- Debarred Bahá’ís from burying their dead
- Prevented access to cemeteries
- Encouraged family breakup
European Parliament member Per Clausen in the Written Question (E-000676/2025) submitted the 13th February highlighted a diplomatic lever: Egypt’s macro-financial assistance from the European Commission is linked with human rights guarantees. The crux of the matter is this: What are the concrete measures that the EU is going to use in order to make Egypt undo the 1960 discriminatory decree?
This case is not isolated; it demonstrates a mechanism of systematic state-sponsored discrimination that goes against international human rights standards.
This case points to the importance of consistent and principled international advocacy to defend the rights of religious minorities to the belief, association, and decent existence. The international community should keep up the pressure on Egyptian authorities to tear down these discriminatory measures and allow for complete religious freedom for all citizens, no matter their faith.
