More opposition in Egypt to the proposed new personal status lawfor non-Muslims – this time from the country's small Baha'i community.

Raouf Hendi, the community's spokesman, described the draft law as "racist and discriminatory", saying it will promote sectarianism.Bikya Masr reports:

Hendi said in statements to local Egyptian newspapers that the presence of the Personal Status law for Sunnis, Shiites, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians, "or any other religious minorities in Egypt, is devoted actually to sectarianism," pointing out that the only solution out of this impasse is "to produce a uniform civil code of personal status for all Egyptians without discrimination due to religion, sex, color, as the presence of a uniform civil code for all Egyptians enshrines the principle of citizenship."

He added that "for those who want the blessing of the Church or al-Azhar, let them be, but without the threat from religious institutions, because we must all respect the law".

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 14 July 2010.