Editor’s Note: Even though Egypt is not within the scope of reporting of this site, Iran Press Watch decided to publish the following updates due to their significance.
1. April 29, 2009: “The Egyptian Parliament is Discussing a Bill to Declare All Baha’is Criminals”: The Joint Commission on Defense, National Security, Arab Affairs and Religious Endowments has demanded that the Egyptian Parliament expedite the issuance of a new law criminalizing Baha’ism…The head of the commission, Dr. ‘Umar Hashim, declares that Baha’is pose a greater threat to national security than extremists and terrorists because they are a product of Zionism…He adds that recent events in the village of Suhaj [in which the homes of several Baha’is were burned] has sounded the alarm…Representative Mr. Safwat ‘Abd al-Karim accuses Baha’is of giving money to unemployed youth to entice them to join their group…Mr. ‘Askar, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, emphasizes the absence of any authority in “this wayward and misguided group” and accuses Baha’is of corrupting Islam and distorting the Holy Qur’an. [Source: Moheet News and Masrawy News]
2. 28 April 2009: “They Permit the Two Sisters to Marry One Another and Allow a Woman to Marry Her Nephews…Baha’ism is in the Service of Zionism”: Nabuls TV [based in the West Bank] reveals that a secret memo drafted by the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mosque [and perhaps the highest religious authority among Sunni Muslims], Muhammad Sayyid Tuntawi, maintains that the Baha’i Faith is a sect bent on serving the interests of Zionism and western imperialism in the Islamic world through promoting moral decay and strife among Arabs and Muslims, in particular in the Middle East…The report states that Baha’ism commands its followers to destroy every single holy place including Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, and the shrines of the Prophets and Muslim saints…It also forces Baha’is to pay a 19% tax to Baha’u’llah or his successor, permits two sisters to marry one another, declares prostitution and unlimited temporary marriages to be lawful, and allows a woman to marry her nephews. [Source: NablusTV]
April 29, 2009 6:19 pm
And now it is the Egyptian Atatollahs’ turn. This is proof that you Baha’is are doing the right thing. After their triads are over, just ask them for the “evidence.” That usually gives them a hickup. But until then enjoy the free publicity. Eygpt will never become the second wife of the Mollahs in Iran.
April 29, 2009 6:41 pm
I pray that the people of Egypt, as the people of Iran, will seize the opportunity to investigate the truth for themselves and come to personal, meaningful decisions.
As the saying goes – “the truth will set you free”.
April 29, 2009 6:52 pm
The Islamic republic of Iran has been accused for several times during past couple of months of interfering with Egyptian domestic affairs through funding terrorist groups of Hezbollah and so on in that country. For example the Wall Street Journal article published yesterday by an Egyptian scholar emphasizes on this fact clearly. Now this is one of the outcomes. Iranian regime just doesn’t want to be alone in giving hard time to Baha’is. Anybody can see their footprint.
April 29, 2009 7:15 pm
Right on, Azizollah!
I don’t know if you are familiar with the saying in the US – “If it waddles like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck!” In this case, the Ayatollahs take a hit, and the Baha’is take a bow! It’s in the history of the persecution that whenever the Ayatollahs do their ‘quack and waddle’ routine, the people know – and they seek out the Baha’is – and investigate for themselves! The outcome has always been in favor of Baha’u’llah!
” “Fain would they put out the light of God with their mouths! But though the infidels hate it, God will perfect His light.”
(Baha’u’llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Page: 118)
Baha’is are followers of that light. Long may it shine!!
April 29, 2009 8:25 pm
Albert Einstein said:
“Two things are unlimited : the universe and the foolishness of man. Regarding the first , I am not sure”.
When the legitimacy of the Baha’i Faith is discussed in the Egyptian Parliament, it will lead to its official recognition by the esteemed Members of that Parlament who have access to knowledge and correct information. They will not accept to be instrumentalized by fanatics . How prejudiced are this propagandists of evil who think they can overcome the human rights declaration and other international conventions egypt has signed in addition to its constitution that has similitude to all other civilized nations.
April 29, 2009 9:43 pm
The news from Egypt is very sad. Even if someone views the Baha’i’ Faith as a heresy, slander is unacceptable in Islam. I pray it all has a positive outcome.
April 30, 2009 1:50 am
The prophet Mohammad tried to give meaning and dignity to the lives of the habitants of Arabian Peninsula who had no civilization and were engaged in looting and plundering each other. He empowered those bands of goat herders 1400 years ago to topple the greatest empires of the time. But soon His Ideology was kidnapped by the same bands of goat herders and continued to loot, plunder and murder anything moved, and they turn the civilized societies to adopt their traditions of goat herding of their ancestors and impose those traditions to the good people of Persians and Egyptians, even today.
So back to the burning issue of persecution of minorities in the hands of so called Islamic Goat Herding Regimes, what do you expect. I hope they succeed in passing that shameful inhumane law and make themselves one more time to a symbol of hatred and denigrate commit to the crimes against humanity in the eyes of the world.
As to a reference to Zionism, the 2 million people of Israel in late ‘60s started to defend their home from the attacks of their surrounding neighbors of over 200 millions, which soon turned to offensive. Within days, they almost destroyed the entire Egyptian Air Force fleet and surrounded the city of Cairo, while their leaders were asleep, and they called their central command for further instructions as to what to do with Cairo. The commander’s voice came to say “get your behind out of there and come home.”
April 30, 2009 4:48 pm
I can see the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran at work there, too. It is either IRI’s money or its other ways of persuation that causes such atrocities in Egypt. Where do you think the HUGE budget that IRI has devoted to anti-Baha’i activities go?
This might mean more suffering for Baha’is BUT there is no doubts it’ll bring more victories for the Baha’i Faith. No Baha’i would be unsatisfied with the bargain.
April 30, 2009 5:12 pm
It is important not to make of this more than what it really is: a futile attempt that has nowhere to go. The more publicity it is given, the bigger it can become. It is predicted that this attempt will, just like many others before it, fade into obscurity. Egypt remains a civil country, and no matter what these few extremist individuals end up doing, the government cannot afford to go along with their nonsense.
May 1, 2009 1:12 am
Dear Bilo, I share your optimism about most of the Egypt people but it is clear that both the ulama and the prominent members of the government share an agenda to extinguish the light of the Bahai Faith in Egypt. The more their schemes and machinations are brought to the attention of the world through this and other websites, the better. I am sure you can appreciate the fact that were it not for the concerns voiced by the international community, the likes of these people in Egypt would be far more emboldened to persecute the Bahais and arrest and kill with or without the passage of some bill.
I also want to address everyone who has made accusations that Iran is behind these recent developments. While I certainly would not dismiss such a possibility, I also think we should be aware that relations between Azhar and the Iranian government are very tense at the moment. Just 11 days ago, Tantawi, the head of Azhar, declared “war on Iran” and cut off all relations with Tehran. He also rebuffed an offer from the Iranian government to attend a conference in Tehran:
http://www.factjo.com/fullNews.aspx?id=7913
Relations between the ulama in Cairo and the ulama in Qom and Tehran have seldom been as uneasy as they are now.
May 1, 2009 1:26 am
Dear Reza,
It is exactly at the time of “uneasy” relationships that baha’is are used as scapegoats, as a means of reconciliation. It was only after the problems with issuance of the ID cards for Baha’is were raised in Egypt that Ayatollah Taskhiri boasted publically that he and his other Iranian colleagues were behind it, instigating the Egyptians. IRI agents have money, and high IQs used in the worst of ways–a dangerous combination.
May 1, 2009 1:38 am
The cavilling of the religious leaders noted in the story is reminiscent of the cavillings of the same people in the land of the birth of the Baha’i Faith. However, that’s no more evidence of Iranian involvement than it would be if they remained silent. The Baha’is themselves will prove these clowns to be wrong, and the more vehement they become, the more exaggerated their cavils, the more unswerving the Baha’is will be. The longer this current campaign of untruth continues, the more the actual truth will be exposed for what it is. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – The Holy Bible
May 2, 2009 8:05 pm
The attempt fell on its face. Please read here: http://www.bahai-egypt.org/2009/05/futile-attempt-to-criminalize-bahai.html