Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD767
2007-03-03 10:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

BAHA'I REPORT SUPPORT ON IDENTITY CARDS, PUSH-BACK

Tags:  PREL PHUM KDEM IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4279
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0767/01 0621022
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 031022Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9983
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000767 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: BAHA'I REPORT SUPPORT ON IDENTITY CARDS, PUSH-BACK
ON ENDOWMENT REGISTRATION

REF: 06 BAGHDAD 02519

Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT GILCHRIST, FOR REASONS
1.4 (B, D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000767

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: BAHA'I REPORT SUPPORT ON IDENTITY CARDS, PUSH-BACK
ON ENDOWMENT REGISTRATION

REF: 06 BAGHDAD 02519

Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT GILCHRIST, FOR REASONS
1.4 (B, D).


1. (C) Summary: President of the Baha'i National Spiritual
Advisory Group in Iraq, Abdul Razaq Abaychi, updated PolOffs
on February 25 on the status of a Saddam-era regulation that
leaves the Baha'i without identification to register in
schools, obtain passports, or even get married legally.
Abaychi said he hoped to build on support within the Ministry
of Interior (MoI) to persuade Minister of Interior Jawad
Bolani to cancel the rule. Abaychi also expressed continued
frustration that the Baha'i remained unable to register with
the Non-Muslim Endowment, which would allow them to receive
state funding and be legally recognized. In a separate
meeting, PolOffs encouraged the chair of the Non-Muslim
Endowment to consider including the Baha'i under the
organization's umbrella, although he expressed continued
hesitation. While Iraq's Baha'i have made some small steps
towards official recognition, they remain among Iraq's most
discriminated against religious group. End Summary.

--------------
BAHA'I PUSH FOR IDENTITY CARDS
--------------


2. (C) On February 25, Baha'i Spiritual Advisory Group
President Abaychi told PolOffs that MoI's Director of
Nationality
and Travel al-Yassiri had submitted a letter to Minister of
Interior Bolani advocating for canceling rule number 358, a
rule which prevents Baha'i from registering for the national
identity card or "jensiyya." Al-Yassiri indicated in
conversations with both the Baha'i and the Embassy that he
had carefully crafted his recommendation to give strong
support to the Baha'i cause. One month later however,
al-Yassiri admitted that Minister Bolani had not engaged on
this issue.


3. (C) Abaychi acknowledged that the next step for the Baha'i
spiritual group was to engage directly with Minister Bolani
in a meeting that he said that the Minister of Justice had
agreed to arrange. Abaychi, referencing some of the lobbying
meetings that the group had undertaken, told PolOffs that
both the Ministers of Human Rights and Justice had agreed to
support the Baha'i in any way they could.

-------------- --------------
NON-MUSLIM CHAIR PUSHES BACK ON BAHA'I REGISTRATION
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Abaychi expressed frustration, however, with the Chair
of the Non-Muslim Endowment, Abdullah Hermiz, who refused
in an earlier meeting to allow the Baha'i from being
registered under the umbrella of his endowment. Abaychi said
that
Hermiz justified his non-support for Baha'i registration
based on rule number 358 and Law 105 of 1970, which prohibits
the Baha,i faith. He asked PolOffs to engage Hermiz on
supporting Baha,i registration.


5. (C) On February 26, PolOffs met with Hermiz to request
that he consider registering the Baha'i in the Non-Muslim
Endowment. Hermiz initially responded to PolOffs in the
negative, saying Shia Endowment head Sheikh Saleh al-Haidari
opposed the idea, since Baha'ism emerged through a split from
Shia Islam. However, after acknowledging that there was
no law specifying which religions could be a part of the
Endowment, Hermiz agreed to take up this proposal only if he
received approval from the Prime Minister's office.

--------------
BAHA'I PRIORITIZE OBTAINING IDENTITY CARDS
--------------


6. (C) Abaychi noted to PolOffs that the Baha'i prioritized
canceling rule number 358 over repealing Law 105 generally
prohibiting the Baha,i faith, because rule 358 caused
immediate hardships such as being unable to obtain passports
and
jobs and marry legally. Abaychi also noted that rule 358 can
be canceled with MoI support, whereas repealing Law 105
would involve obtaining Council of Representatives (CoR)
support and is therefore, more complicated.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) Comment: It has been over a year since post first met
with the Baha,i and encouraged their lobbying efforts to

BAGHDAD 00000767 002 OF 002


obtain recognition. Thus far, however, their efforts have
achieved only limited results. Nonetheless, there have been
some changes in attitude within the GoI toward the Baha'i,
albeit at the margins. For example, MoI Director of
Nationality and Travel was initially unwilling to consider
their request. Today, he has become one of their
advocates. Membership in the Non-Muslim Endowment would be
additional step and could afford the Baha'i official
recognition, as well as providing another vehicle by which
they could lobby their cause. Their next big step will be
their meeting with Minister Bolani, who has the ability to
take the first step in overcoming long-standing
discriminatory
practices. End Comment.
KHALILZAD