Presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh said he is counting on support from Salafis, who he said are greater in number than the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The Salafis have been preaching in the mosques for 30 years under Mubarak without being persecuted like the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said.
The potential alliance of Fotouh with Salafi forces seems somewhat awkward, considering that the presidential candidate is considered to be liberal by the standards of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which he is a long-time member.
Fotouh's relatively liberal views conflict with those of Salafis on many points, such as the positions of women and Christians in society.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
