Egypt changes religious ID policy

CAIRO, April 15 (UPI) -- The Egyptian Interior Ministry has decreed, starting Wednesday, members of unrecognized religions can get identity documents.

The main beneficiaries of the decree are the thousands of Egyptians who are adherents of the Bahai faith, Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said. Under the previous system, Egyptians trying to get birth certificates or identity cards had to identify themselves as Muslim, Christian or Jewish, the only religions recognized by the state.

Bahai, founded in Persia, teaches that all humans share a spiritual unity and that all religions are essentially the same. There are 5 or 6 million followers around the world.

"With this decree, the Interior Minister resolved a serious problem, albeit one that the ministry itself created," said Hossam Bahgat, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative. "We will monitor how officials implement the new regulations over the coming weeks to ensure their swift and smooth enforcement."

For the past nine years, Bahai followers and members of other unrecognized religions had to claim to be Jewish, Christian or Muslim to get essential documents. EIPR won a favorable court ruling last week.