Before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Of the United States House of Representatives
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Caucus:
On behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, I wish
to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and the Caucus for inviting me to brief you on
behalf of the Commission on the situation of freedom of thought, conscience, and
religion or belief in Egypt and our recommendations for U.S. policy. I
respectfully request that my written comments be submitted into the
congressional record.
Since its inception, the Commission, which is an independent federal agency,
has paid serious attention to Egypt, not only because of its importance in the
region, but because Egypt is an important ally of the U.S. and the second
largest recipient of U.S. aid. Our two governments also work together on
key foreign policy issues such as the war on terror and Middle East
peace.
Current domestic and international pressure for democratic reform in Egypt
has set the stage for the U.S. government to seek an agreement with Egypt on a
timetable for implementation of specific political and legal reforms to protect
the human rights of all Egyptians. In order to create that foundation on
which democracy can be built in Egypt, efforts at political reform must include
steps to address serious violations of freedom of religion or belief and other
related human rights. I will address what those specific steps should be
in a moment.
If benchmarks for political reform are met, then the U.S. government should,
within the boundaries of its overall aid to Egypt, provide economic assistance
to areas where significant progress has been made. If benchmarks are not
met, the U.S. government should reconsider the dimensions and direction of its
economic assistance. The U.S. government also should do more to support
those indigenous civil society groups in Egypt who are pressing for these or
similar objectives.
Current State of Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion or
Belief
Mr. Chairman, the Commission traveled to Egypt last year and met with senior
Egyptian government officials, as well as prominent religious leaders, human
rights activists, women's rights groups, and other civil society leaders.
The Commission continues to receive information from a variety of sources and
monitors closely the situation on the ground. After a careful review of
the current situation, the Commission placed Egypt on its Watch List again this
year.
The Commission found that discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights
violations affect a broad spectrum of Egyptian society, including: Muslims,
Christians, Jews, Baha'is and members of other religious communities. The
Egyptian government has adopted measures in recent years to acknowledge certain
aspects of the religious pluralism in Egyptian society. Yet more can and
should be done by the government to protect the right to freedom of thought,
conscience, religion or belief, to punish those responsible for
religiously-motivated violence, and to combat widespread and virulent
anti-Semitism and other intolerance in the media and in the education
system. If these steps are taken, they would demonstrate President
Mubarak's commitment to fostering a democratic society that respects human
rights.
I would like to highlight three of the most serious issues that the
Commission feels deserve immediate attention:
- Societal violence against and lack of protection for Coptic
Christians
- Persistent anti-Semitism in the media and education system
- Requirements on national ID cards that discriminate against Baha'is and
others
Violent attacks on religious minorities, particularly Coptic Christians, by
militant groups are an ongoing concern, especially in rural Upper Egypt.
Unfortunately the violence last month in the normally peaceful coastal town of
Alexandria resulted in the deaths of three Copts and injuries to dozens of
others. According to numerous reports, Islamic extremists were responsible
for instigating the violence. Egyptian authorities have said that a
full-scale investigation is underway and should be made public after the final
round of parliamentary elections concludes on December
1st.
Moreover, the Egyptian government does not provide adequate protection for
Christians. For example, last year the Egyptian court system upheld the
acquittal of 94 of 96 suspects who were charged in connection with the killing
of 21 Christians and one Muslim in the Upper Egypt village of Al-Kosheh in early
2000. This effectively ended efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators
of these crimes despite widely reported police negligence during the
investigation of the case. Impunity signals that perpetrators can get away
with such violent acts. The government has a responsibility to do better -
from investigations to judicial proceedings.
Material vilifying Jews and Baha'is appears regularly in the state-controlled
and semi-official media. Human rights groups continue to report virulent
anti-Semitism in the education system, which is increasingly under the influence
of extremists. Such material has included Holocaust denial and
anti-Semitic cartoons and television programming such as the 24-part series
based on the notorious forgery, the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion."
Although Egyptian government officials have said that there is no official
policy condoning anti-Semitism or other forms of intolerance, acts of
anti-Semitism are virtually unopposed by government leaders.
All Baha'i institutions and community activities are banned, and Al-Azhar's
Islamic Research Center has issued fatwas condemning Baha'is as
apostates. Baha'is cannot even obtain mandatory identity cards - which are
required by law - because religious affiliation is required on the cards and the
only choices are Islam, Christianity, or Judaism. The Egyptian
government's computerization of the national ID card system reportedly goes into
full effect by the end of this year. If Baha'is cannot obtain ID cards,
they would be subject to arrest at anytime while in public and essentially be
denied all rights of citizenship. From a recently dated official document
obtained by the Commission, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior makes it clear
that it not only does not allow the Baha'i faith to be accorded recognition on
identity cards, but it also does not allow individual Baha'is to identify their
religion as "other."
In addition, individuals who change their religion from Islam to Christianity
fear government harassment if the conversion is registered. Reportedly,
converts have altered their own identification cards and other official
documents to reflect their new religious affiliation. However, if the altered ID
cards are discovered by authorities, criminal charges can result.
In addition to these immediate concerns of the Commission, there are several
other issues worth raising today.
Other Concerns
Role of the State Security Services
The Egyptian State Security Services oversee religious affairs in Egypt and
restrict the religious activities of Muslims, Coptic Christians, and
others. Interference, harassment, and surveillance by the State Security
Services are significant problems for members of all religious groups.
While the potential for violence is a valid matter of state security, removing
the religion "portfolio" from the State Security Services and placing
responsibility for religious affairs in a more transparent and politically
accountable section of the government could result in a situation that
establishes both effective preventative security measures and appropriate
protection of human rights, in accordance with international standards.
This would allow members of all religious groups in Egypt to conduct their
day-to-day affairs without undue interference by the security services.
The role of the State Security Services in religious affairs predates the
1981 Emergency Law. Nevertheless, the implementation of that law - which
was renewed for another three years in February 2003 - has further undermined
the protection of human rights in Egypt. The security forces continue to
mistreat and torture prisoners, arbitrarily arrest and detain persons, and hold
detainees in prolonged pretrial detention. The National Council for Human
Rights, formed by the Egyptian government last year, recently called for an end
to the State of Emergency. The Commission encourages President Mubarak to
make good on his Presidential campaign promise to reconsider and lift the State
of Emergency.
Islam
In Egypt, religious practices that conflict with the state-favored
interpretation of Sunni Islamic law are prohibited. The Egyptian
government regulates and exerts some control over Islamic religious institutions
and activities, control that, according to the government, is necessary to
combat religious extremism and terrorism. The state appoints and pays the
salaries of all Sunni Muslim imams, and all mosques must be licensed by the
government. Sermons are monitored by the State Security Services.
Non-Conforming Muslims and Other Non-Muslim Religious Minorities
Discrimination against members of religious minorities in law, in practice,
and in society needs to be addressed immediately. Article 98(f) of the
Egyptian Penal Code prohibits citizens from ridiculing or insulting the three
so-called "heavenly" religions - Judaism, Christianity, or Islam - or inciting
sectarian strife among them. While this law has not been used to prosecute
acts of anti-Semitism or acts against Christianity, it has been used to punish
those who openly disagree with the kind of Islam promoted by the state.
Persons accused of practicing "unorthodox" Islamic religious beliefs that,
in the state's view, conflict with Islamic law continue to be prosecuted in the
state security courts. These include non-conforming Muslims who are
charged with practicing beliefs deemed to deviate from Islamic law. Other
minority Muslims such as the tiny Shi'a community also have faced increasing
abuse and imprisonment in recent years.
Permits to build or repair churches languish under restrictive rules which
apply only to non-Muslims. There are approximately just over 100 applications to
build new churches that have been submitted for approval by President Mubarak
without response. Most of those applications have not been responded to
for at least 5 years or more. Although provincial governors now have the
authority to approve applications for church repair, hundreds of such
applications are languishing in the system. Even some permits that have
been approved cannot be acted upon because of interference by the state security
services, at both the local and national levels.
After several years of close surveillance, authorities reportedly have
increased repressive measures in the last year against the small community of
Jehovah's Witnesses, who are not recognized by the Egyptian government.
Jehovah's Witnesses also have reported harassment and abuse by government
authorities.
There also is a growing sense among human rights groups that Islamic
extremism is advancing in Egypt, particularly with detrimental effects on the
human rights of women and girls and influencing the public school
curriculum.
Recommendations for U.S. Policy
The Egyptian government has recently taken some steps that its leaders assert
will establish a more open political process, although the results of those
efforts remain to be seen. Some experts considered the September
Presidential elections a step forward while others felt that the political space
for opposition was severely limited. The degree to which the Egyptian
government is serious about opening the political process can, in part, be
judged on what happens between now and the conclusion of the parliamentary
elections in early December.
At present, the Egyptian government has the opportunity to demonstrate its
commitment to democratic reform by ensuring and protecting the human rights of
everyone, as affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It
could do so by taking action immediately in several areas related to freedom of
thought, conscience, religion or belief.
The Commission has made several specific recommendations for U.S.
policy. I would like to highlight just a few that could be acted on by the
Egyptian government without further delay:
- shift de facto responsibility for religious affairs from the State
Security Services with the exception of cases involving or advocating
violence;
- repeal state of emergency laws;
- more actively investigate religious based violence against Egyptian
citizens, particularly Coptic Christians, and prosecute perpetrators
responsible for the violence;
- implement procedures which would ensure that all places of worship are
subject to the same transparent, non-discriminatory, and efficient regulations
regarding construction and maintenance;
- cease messages of hate and intolerance toward religious minorities in the
media and education system;
- review textbooks and remove inflammatory or intolerant materials;
- take all appropriate steps to prevent and punish acts of
anti-Semitism;
- ensure that every Egyptian is protected against discrimination on the
national identity card by removing religious affiliation; and
- repeal a 1960 Presidential decree banning the Baha'i community from
practicing their faith.
Furthermore, the U.S government should have the ability to directly fund
civil society and human rights groups without vetting by the Egyptian
government, including programs that extend beyond democracy and governance, such
as educational programs.
Conclusion
Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief is a universal human
right and its vigorous protection for all Egyptians will be not only a yardstick
of political reform, but an essential component for any lasting democracy in
Egypt.
I thank you for your attention.
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