Washington -- On August 18, President Barak Obama will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House. It will be the third meeting between Obama and Mubarak, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and Finance Minister Yusef Boutros-Ghali, as well as Egypt's information and trade ministers and intelligence chief.

Prior to the meeting, the Institute on Religion and Public Policy sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to raise the serious conditions of religious discrimination and persecution in Egypt during the meetings with Mubarak. President Mubarak is expected on Sunday to meet with representatives from eight American Jewish groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, J Street and the Anti-Defamation League for an hour-long, off-the-record meeting and on Monday to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, National Security Advisor James Jones and Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair.

"Of particular concern are President Mubarak's policies which allow for extensive government control over internal religious matters, restrictions on the right to convert, and the outright banning of many religious groups," the letter states. "The state continues to prosecute and imprison those accused of non-approved religious beliefs within the Islamic faith, as well as anyone who insults the three "heavenly religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism". Courts may prosecute anyone whom the Government deems to have unorthodox or deviant Islamic or other religious beliefs or practices. This has been deemed acceptable by the courts, which have held that the Constitutional provision regarding religious freedom does not apply to the Baha'i or any other religious group not affiliated with Christianity, Islam or Judaism."

"While Egypt's Constitution theoretically protects freedom of religion, the government's interpretation of these provisions seriously infringes upon this essential right. The government interferes with the internal matters of the Muslim community, encourages social discrimination against Coptic Christians, Baha'is, and other religious minorities, and completely disbands other religious groups," the letter continues.

"For these reasons, we implore you to press President Mubarak on the status of religious liberty in Egypt and to insist on its fundamental importance in U.S.-Egypt bilateral relations."

The text of the full letter can be found here.

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