Travel Bans Targeting Secularists: Status of Atheists in Egypt deteriorating

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On 11 February 2023, Hesham El Masry, an Egyptian atheist freethinker was on his way to The Netherlands from Cairo International Airport when he was escorted off the plane by police officers. “I was on my way to Amsterdam, Netherlands, [but] i was detained by the Egyptian National Security Agency, and they forbade me from travelling, damaged my bags, and treated me so badly” he said on his Facebook. He later discovered that he was on a travel ban without a court order.

This is not the first time the Egyptian authorities restrained an Egyptian citizen from travelling abroad without a court order, and based solely on “reasons” known only by the National Security Agency (NSA).

These arbitrary travel bans have been increasing since 2014 after Egypt and Saudi Arabia equated Atheism with terrorism.

Hesham was not the first since the Egyptian authorities started punishing prominent atheist figures with travel bans. Before Hesham there were many cases where freethinkers were denied their right to travel. This include Shrief Gaber, Ismail Mohammed, Ahmed Harakat, Nada Mandoor and many others who are afraid to share their name. Nothing has changed since 2011 and atheists continue to face discrimination and be treated as second-class citizens. Perhaps this following statement by Usama Al Azhari, the president’s adviser on religious affairs clearly shows how atheists in Egypt are looked down upon, “Atheism and Terrorism are two sides of the same coin”. [2022]

Arbitrary travel bans not only target atheists, but also human rights defenders, or anyone who are suspected of involving with human rights issues, some of the names include Gamal Eid, Azza Soliman, Israa Abdel-Fatah and Ahmed Samir.

On January 25, 2011, Egyptians began a series of mass protests in the so-called Arab Spring. One of the main reasons behind these protests was police brutality led by the infamous State Security Investigations Service (SSI)
which was replaced by the National Security Agency (NSA). But since 2013 and after President Al-Sisi ascended to power, the security grip has returned strongly with more reported cases of atheists behind bars.

“SUGDB Egyptair” by Anhedral is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.”