Another Mighty Issue in Egypt

Much has been written about the current efforts of the Egyptian government to deprive Baha'is of access to national identification cards, thereby preventing them from gaining employment, education, medical and financial services, as well as freedom of movement and security of property. In April an administrative court ruled that the effort by the government to deny Bahá'ís access to identification cards was illegal. The government appealed this decision in May, and the Supreme Administrative Court of Egypt granted the appeal, suspending the lower court's ruling until it could hear the case on June 19.

As we await the June 19 hearing, it is worth pondering the following words of Shoghi Effendi, written in 1929 in the context of another court case in Egypt and a petition by the Egyptian Bahá'ís for formal recognition by the government of Egypt:

Whatever the outcome of this mighty issue--and none can fail to appreciate the incalculable possibilities of the present situation-- we can rest assured that the guiding Hand that has released these forces will, in His inscrutable wisdom and by His omnipotent power, continue to shape and direct their course for the glory, the ultimate emancipation, and the unqualified recognition of His Faith.