This Documentary Will Open Your Eyes to the Realities of Religion in Egypt

Religion in Egypt is often a huge deal. Everyone seems to care about it; from the government to the bawab’s wife, Egyptians just can’t stifle their insatiable hunger to figure out who or what or how you like to worship at home.

It’s also true that not many films or projects have been made on the topic of religious discrimination in Egypt, however, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights just released a documentary titled 'Khanet El Deen' in which they tackle a whole array of subtopics relating to religious rights and religious discrimination in Egypt.

The video is absolutely fascinating and although it’s lacking a little in its technical aspects, it makes up for it in its content. The documentary is essentially a focused view into how religious minorities deal with the unbearable limitations set by the government, with a myriad of opinions included in it to give a comprehensive view. If you’re interested in what priests, sheikhs, activists, researchers, and families have to say about it, then this is a documentary you need to watch immediately.

What’s particularly interesting is the fact that the documentary gives a real and personal voice to Baha’is but also brings up various topics of debate. Should religion be included in IDs? Should site worship laws not be unanimous for all? Can non-Abrahamic marriage contracts be recognised by law? Can your religion actually affect where you work and what you study?

In addition to that, the documentary makers went to particular lengths to test out the knowledge they are given such as in one scenario where a man goes to an administrative office to ask for a dash to be put instead of his religion on his national ID.

Watch and judge for yourself, perhaps you will be haunted by the same question that haunts us till now - what's more important to have on my ID; my blood type or my religion?