A More Balanced Picture of a Problem

One of the canards in the false litanty of Arab propaganda is the matter of ID cards.

Here's a short summary. A female Rabbi discusses it.

A good backgrounder.

Well, you know of course that others suffer problems. Christians, in fact. BBC is reporting:

Egypt's Coptic Christians battle for ID cards

By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Cairo

...Girgis Gabriel Girgis is tattooing a baby girl. She is very young, only about three years old, and branding the blue cross onto the girl's inside wrist brings a piercing shrill scream...The tattoo symbolises community and identity...a tiny Coptic cross.

...And now - even as an adult - Ayman is denied by the state the Christian identity card he craves.

"Since the age of 16, I have been living an anonymous life," he said.

"In the eyes of the I state, I don't exist. They are trying to force me to become a Muslim by accepting a Muslim identity card. But it was my father's decision to convert. Not mine."

"I'd rather die than accept a Muslim identity card. It is plainly obvious to anyone here I am a practising Christian," he says.

Christians in Egypt comprise about 10% of the country's 80 million people.

But in a predominantly Islamic society, the Copts say they are are being increasingly marginalised.

Identity cards carrying details of a person's religion are required by law in Egypt for employment, education, and access to any public services.

International rights groups say they are also used to discriminate in areas such as employment.

...The BBC did ask the interior ministry for a response to our investigation, but after three weeks we have had no answer. No government representative has been put forward for comment.

Just so you have a balanced and full picture.


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P.S.

Iraqi Christians' safety hopes

...In Iraq, Christians and Muslims have worshipped side by side for centuries.
“ Our situation is Iraq's situation - now we pray the situation will become better ”
Shlemon Warduni Auxiliary Bishop

But half of the congregation of the Virgin Mary church have fled in recent years. "They have gone either to the north of Iraq or to other countries because of the situation, the car bombings and kidnappings. There is no security, no peace," said Auxiliary Bishop, Shlemon Warduni.

Outside the gate, a group of policemen stand guard. Earlier this year, a car bomb exploded right in front of the church...According to some estimates, half of Iraq's Christian minority have left their homes since the American-led invasion in 2003...