http://www.alwaref.org Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:14:44 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc6 Very detailed and informative report about the case of the Baha’is in Egypt. Rafi Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:26:59 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc8 thanks for the effort in this article & you can know more about Egyptian bahai from my blog as iam an Egyptian bahai http://basmagm.wordpress.com/wp-admin/index.php?page=stats our next case infront court in 16 February basma moussa Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:51:54 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc9 This is a solid scholarly piece of work. Bilo Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:31:54 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc10 Thank you Mr. Wardany and al-Waref Institute for this perceptive article. It not only draws much needed attention to the plight of the Baha\'is in Egypt in Iran but also stresses that to persecute any people on the basis of religion or creed is completely unacceptable. Amal Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:52:40 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc11 Thank you, Wardani for a very fair and objective article. Congratualyions Dr Nabil Mustapha Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:32:41 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc12 Fair and courageous. Thank you sir. May God reward you, and may the wings of celestial joy accompany you in every step of your life. Jawad J. Mughrabi Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:45:08 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc13 Thank you Sayyid Youssef for this independent presentation. Unbiased opinions are a rarety these days in our beloved East, and people such as your dear self are a great asset to the inspiration of hope for the immediate future. It is a pity that Al Azhar Al Sherif have not studied carefully the Baha\'i sacred Writings. In our changing times, someone from amongst our Muslim erudites may take heed and look into the Baha\'i Teachings. Rowshan Mustapha (Eng.) Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:39:51 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc14 [size=medium][/size][color=green][/color][b][/b]This is a magnificent piece of work. The world is entering a new phase. It is gaining momentum towards its real destiny,no matter the blocks and stones on its way. Hope to see all united with love and friendship together no matter what colour,nationality,religion,and sex. Please do get to this link to see how most Iranians think about what has been done to the Bahai community of Iran. [url]http://www.iranpresswatch.org/[/url] WorldCitizen Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:01:06 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc15 Dear sir my warm regards to you. I,m an Iranian Bahai\'. your article is very interesting. we must say : God is one,man is one , all the religions is one. Ramin Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:44:28 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc17 God bless you for your courage and uprightness. This paper can in itself be considered as a reference of good quality work. Thank you for being fair minded and open. Vafa Ram Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:43:57 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc22 Mr Wardany, it\'s very obvious that you did a great effort in research. which results in a very informative, concise, simple paper. good work. keep it up Heba Said Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:06:30 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc28 Great Effort Ya Wardany Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:09:20 +0100 http://www.alwaref.org/en/opinions-a-analysis/89?task=view#josc69 Dear Mr. Wardany, I must say that this is a superb piece of well-conceived and well-intended research. While I am a third-generation Baha\'i, I would found difficulty to produce such a masterpiece. May God bless you and keep you a treasure for our dear country, Egypt. I must also say that there are many facts that remain as oral tradition, and that part of the history of the Baha\'i s in Egypt is still oral, until it is properly recorded. With this being the fact, let me give you some \'oral\' information about the history of the Baha\'i Faith in Egypt, since I have either heard it from trusted sources that are no longer with us in this life, or have witnessed it myself, whether as a Baha\'i \'criminal\' in more than 5 cases that were brought against the Baha\'i Community by the Egyptian security over the past 45 years. First, the Baha\'i Faith came to Egypt in 1864 during the life-time of its Founder, Baha\'u\'llah. They were, of course, Baha\'is of Persian origin. But, gradually and over the years that followed, many Egyptians espoused the new Faith and the roots of the Egyptian Baha\'i community might be said to date back to the last quarter of the 19th Century. Second, there is a landmark in the annals of this Community, which was a verdict passed by the Shar\'ia Court in the Town of Beba, the Provice of Bani-Sweif in 1923, which was later ratified by the Shari\'a Court of Appeals of Bani-Sweif. The verdict, which was aimed at divorcing 3 Muslims who converted to the Baha\'i Faith from their (still) Muslim wives, stated that \"Baha\'ism is a new independent religion on its own, that has its laws, by-laws, and ordinances. The court also went to the conclusion that \"there could not be a Baha\'i-Muslim or vise versa, in the same manner there can be no Christian-Muslim or vise versa\". It is upon the basis of this historical ruling that the Baha\'i Community of Egypt started to shape its independent identity, slowly and gradually over the years that followed until the infamous Decree 263 for the year 1960 that disbanded Baha\'i Assemblies. The National Assembly of the Baha\'is of Egypt and Sudan formulated its constitution and by-laws, and compiled Baha\'i social status laws (marriage, divorce, burial, intestacy, etc). While the latter remain unrecognized officially, every Baha\'i in Egypt follows them closely. With the break of the Arab-Israeli conflict over Palestine in 1947, the accusations that were leveled against the Egyptian Baha\'is changed from that of being pro-colonialist to pro-Zionist. It is at this point in history that Al-Azhar issued its \"Warning against Baha\'ism and Baha\'i s\" in 1947. The Baha\'i s refuted this warning and printing both the refutation and the warning in one book, which is available at the Baha\'i Reference Library Arabic literature website. While Decree 263 dissolved Baha\'i Assemblies and proscribe exercising their activities, it was mis-construed afterwards by the Security to proscribe the Faith itself. When the Baha\'is were taken, initially, to the State Security Court each time they would be arrested and tried from 1965 to 1985, they would be later referred to the Courts of Misdemeanor (Junah) and tried for the allegation of performing activities of their dissolved Assemblies. However, and as of 1972 (in Tanta), and with the new law of shame (Al-Eib) the accusation was expanded on include going against established traditions and insulting other religions. None of the cases of 1965 (Zeitun), 1967 (Waily), 1970 (Souhag), 1972 (Tanta) passed a final indictment against the accused Baha\'is. The case of 1985 (Kasr El-Nil, Mr. Hussein Bicar and others) was different: A uniform sentence of 3 years imprisonment and fines was passed to the 46 defendants collectively by the court of first instance. The court of appeals, however, revoked this sentence and acquitted all defendants on the basis that there is a distinction between activities of dissolved assemblies and activities that emanate from practicing the Baha\'i Faith. The defendants, the court rules, were performing the latter type which is protected by the Constitution and do not violate the law. The court even went to the extend of ordering returning of seized Baha\'i literature to the defendants. This was the last case to be seen at any court of law in Egypt, since the arrest of some Baha\'is from Souhag in 2001 never culminated in a court case in spite of their incarceration for almost a year. There are many other \'oral\' facts that I am privileged to be aware of, but this could be a subject of direct exchange of communication between the two of us. But, in conclusion, let me repeat my great appreciation and boundless gratitude to your distinguished person for this highly scholastic research. Keep it up! Sincerely, Gamal Hassan Gamal Hassan Wed, 13 May 2009 07:24:05 +0100