Egypt... 17-12-2011

Egypt Faces a Hardline Islamic Future ?

Egypt Faces a Hardline Islamic Future

By Daniel Steinvorth

REUTERS

The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood led the way in the first round of parliamentary voting in Egypt. Second place went to the even more hardline Salafist party al-Nour. The group would like to see the introduction of an ultra-conservative brand of Sharia -- and a ban on bikinis.

It's a good thing that the visitor is a man. The sheikh doesn't speak with women. But then again, the reporter is a foreigner, which is also worrisome. There are so many prejudices about Islam in the West, says Sheikh Fawzi al-Sayeed. But perhaps, he adds, this conversation will help to spread the truth.

Sayeed, 70, a serious-looking man with a full gray beard, is wearing sandals, a crochet cap and the traditional Egyptian garment called the Jellabiya. He invites his guest into the Al-Tawheed Mosque. It is 6:30 a.m., and those gathered inside have just completed their morning prayers. Now they are forming a half circle around their sheikh, who has taken a seat on a wooden chair in the middle of the room. The Al-Tawheed Mosque in the northern part of Cairo is a plain-looking building with no ornate columns or other decoration; no unnecessary details to distract the faithful from their devotion to God.

Egypt: 100 of the Muslim Brotherhood arrested ahead of poll ..

Egypt: 100 of the Muslim Brotherhood  arrested ahead of poll ..

More than 100 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group were arrested across Egypt on Friday ahead of november 28 legislative elections, AFP said. Hamdy Hassan, spokesman for the Brotherhood's parliamentary bloc, confirmed the arrest of over 100 Brotherhood supporters from different cities.  “What happened today are not just assaults, it was more like war. Police fired at the crowds. Some people were injured,” Hassan told Reuters, adding that he had witnessed clashes in Alexandria. Police sources say about 200 people were detained in Nile Delta cities and places near Cairo while 24 more were detained in the coastal town of Alexandria, north of Cairo. Another Brotherhood official Mohammed Mursi said the arrests came during clashes when the security forces tried to break up gatherings of people backing Brotherhood candidates standing in the November 28 election. “The regime is trying to terrorise citizens to make them stay away from the polling stations,” Mursi said. Egypt’s official state news agency MENA said some people in the Brotherhood gatherings threw rocks at security men and a few were injured. The Brotherhood is fielding about 135 candidates in the election while the ruling National Democratic Party is fielding about 800 candidates, and the liberal Wafd opposition party about 250 for the 508 seats up for election. On Thursday, Egypt accused the United States of meddling in its affairs after Washington called for foreign observers to be allowed to monitor vote.