The Supreme Administrative Court, headed by Justice Ismail Saddiq- Vice-President of the State Council- deferred to April 4th, ruling on the appeals filed by a number of lawyers representing Christians who reverted back to Christianity asking for their identity cards to reflect their “re-conversion†to Christianity status.
On 9 February 2008, the Supreme Administrative Court headed by Judge Sayed Noufal ruled in favor of 12 lawsuits filed by Christian citizens who had converted to Islam and then back to Christianity; they asked that their identity cards to show their present Christian religion. However, the Supreme Administrative Court recommended that beside their Christian religion, the identification cards should also note their previous conversion to Islam.
In a related context, the Chamber also deferred ruling on appeals filed by several Muslim lawyers contesting that same February 2008 ruling, on the basis of its invalidity. The meeting was adjourned until 11 April to allow the Court to review the report of the Commissioners of the State, filed during the Chamber’s session, and in which it rejected the claims of invalidity and upheld the eligibility of the’ returners to Christianity’ to get new state identification documents reflecting their Christian affiliation.
In the period between 2004 to 2006, the Administrative Judicial Court issued more than 5 different provisions, in connection with cases of returners to Christianity, which have reached 500 cases last year.
However since 30/6/2007 that same Court under the new presidency of
Chancellor Mohammed Al-Husseini, rejected more than 104 claims of returnees, and supported the negative decision of the Minister of Interior not to issue identity cards to Christian reverts, in spite of the Supreme Administrative Court’s final ruling of February 9, 2008.
The Judge also referred the matter to the Supreme Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the second paragraph of Article 47 of the Civil Status Law, which regulates the procedures for changing or correcting one’s personal data on official documents.
The judge also asked the Supreme Constitutional Court to rule on what he regards as an inconsistency between the law that allows one to freely change his or her religion and Article 2 of the Constitution, which states that Islam is the official religion of the State and that the principles of Shari’a are the main source of legislation. The Supreme Constitutional Court had not yet held any public hearings on the matter.
Coptic lawyer Ramsis Elnaggar, said that there are over 2000 cases of ‘Returners to Christianity’, and thousands more are awaiting the outcome of the appeals.
It is worth noting that without the official ID cards, Egyptians can not apply for jobs, buy property, open bank accounts or register their children in schools. They are also subject to arrest for not carrying valid identity papers.
Translated into English by Voice of the Copts.