Prohibited identities

Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights document how officials of Egypt's Ministry of Interior systematically prevent Baha'is and converts from Islam to Christianity from registering their actual religious belief in national identity documents, birth certificates, and other essential papers. They do this based not on any Egyptian law, but on their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. This denial can have far-reaching consequences for the daily lives of those affected, including choosing a spouse, educating one's children, or conducting the most basic financial and other transactions.