A/63/161 “… as concerns the reply of the Government of Saudi Arabia according to which ‘100 per cent of all the citizens of Saudi Arabia are adherents of the Muslim religion’, he would like to indicate that such uniformity does not exist in either political or religious matters. Mankind has a right to diversity, to the freedom of thought, conscience and belief, without limits being imposed on anyone, except in cases where restrictions to their exercise are prescribed” (E/CN.4/1993/62, para. 53). 30. Some believers are not only prevented from becoming citizens based on religious affiliation, but they may also lose their citizenship if they decide to change their religion. The Special Rapporteur has been informed of such a deprivation of citizenship following a conversion from the dominant religion to another religion. 8 2. Access to and contents of official documents 31. Some States deny official documents, including identity cards, passports, birth certificates and marriage licences, to members of certain religious communities or only issue these documents to members of a particular religious group. 9 Administrative obstacles with regard to applications for these documents, including requesting members of a particular group applying for identity cards to supply additional documents, may also restrict the rights of the individuals concerned. Converts to a different religion sometimes encounter problems when they request that official documents reflect the change of their religious affiliation. 32. Several States require that religious affiliation be specified on identity cards, passports and/or the application forms for either. 10 In some cases there is a choice between only two 11 or three 12 officially recognized religions, without the option to refrain from indicating one’s religion or to declare that one is an atheist or non-theist. Computerized systems may aggravate the problem when they are programmed in a manner so as to prevent any religious affiliation other than those preselected by the State from being entered. 33. When applying for official documents, some groups have to subscribe to specific statements with regard to their substantive religious beliefs. In Pakistan, Muslims are required to solemnly declare in their passport application form that they “do not recognize any person who claims to be a prophet in any sense of the __________________ 8 9 10 11 12 08-43442 E/CN.4/2000/65, para. 64 (on the Maldives). A/HRC/7/10/Add.1, paras. 79-85 (on Egypt); A/HRC/4/21/Add.3 (on the Maldives), para. 45. E/CN.4/1996/95/Add.2 (on the Islamic Republic of Iran), para. 62; E/CN.4/1996/95/Add.1 (on Pakistan), paras. 22 and 23. A/HRC/8/18, para. 31 (on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem): “The West Bank and Gaza identity cards indicate whether the cardholder is Muslim or Christian, with no possible alternatives. The identity cards of those who are not believers, for example, indicate that they have the same religion as their parents; in contrast, cards of Jerusalem residents and Israeli citizens do not contain information about religion.” E/CN.4/2004/63, paras. 40 and 41; E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1, para. 85; E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.1, para. 117; A/HRC/7/10/Add.1, paras. 79-85 (on Egypt). However, in two judgements dated 29 January 2008 (No. 18354/58 and No. 12780/61) the Cairo Court of Administrative Justice annulled decisions of the administration which had abstained from putting a dash or another symbol in the space reserved for religion on the applicants’ identity cards or birth certificates after ascertaining that they previously had been issued official documents that do not indicate one of the three recognized religions in Egypt (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). See also A/HRC/7/23, para. 53. 11