Egypt’s Baha’i Community Faces Crisis as Final Burial Ground Nears Capacity
Egypt's Baha'i minority struggles as their last burial site nears full capacity. Report reveals decades of discrimination and limited options.
POLICY WIRE — Cairo, Egypt — The final remaining burial ground for Egypt’s Baha’i community is nearing full capacity, forcing families to transport deceased members from across the country to a single plot in Cairo’s Basatin neighborhood.
The cemetery, surrounded by palm trees and overgrown vegetation, features tightly packed graves where only narrow strips of sand and cracked pavement separate plots. This space has become the sole resting place for followers of a faith that has faced systemic exclusion for decades.
Egypt’s government has not responded to requests for comment on the issue. However, past statements have claimed no restrictions on religious belief, despite historical evidence of policies that have denied the Baha’i community access to public cemeteries since 1960. International human rights organizations have highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the religious minority.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
