Most of Wednesday's Egyptian dailies highlight fears of rising Islamist power following reports of Salafis using violence against those who do not observe the rules of Islamic Sharia Law.
The state-owned daily Rose al-Youssef leads with “A state of terror follows Salafi threats,” referring to warnings that went viral in cyberspace earlier this week. The warnings claimed that Salafis will attack women who do not wear the niqab. The paper says that school absence rates around the country have increased because of fears of sectarian violence, and adds that some Christian schools have closed.
Rose al-Youssef also quotes a Salafi representative named Abdallah Shaker, who denied rumors about targeting unveiled women. Shaker also denied accusations leveled against Salafi groups for allegedly cutting off the ear of a Coptic teacher in Qena and burning a Coptic woman’s house in Monufiya. Shaker insisted that Salafis have a religious obligation to encourage good and forbid evil with their own hands if necessary.
The privately-owned daily Al-Shorouk focuses on fears of Christians in particular with a story headlined, "Copts fear rumors that Salafis will target Christian and non-veiled women, despite reassurances from religious leaders." The story mentions an earlier statement by a Coptic politician who claimed that Salafi groups and former security officers were plotting to stage a demonstration against unveiled women. Although Salafi websites denied these rumors, many Coptic women opted not leave their homes yesterday. However, many unveiled Muslim and Christian women on Facebook expressed defiance against the possibility of Salafi attacks and insisted on leaving their homes.
The paper quotes Hossam Tamam, an expert on Islamist groups, as questioning the willingness of Salafi groups to engage in violent acts, arguing that Egypt has no well-structured Salafi groups and that Salafis are usually peaceful. Yet he warned that the current state of lawlessness might encourage them to actualize what is none as the Islamic “Hisbah.” According to some interpretations of this doctrine, Muslims may enforce the rulings of Islam by force if necessary.
Al-Shorouk also reports that many political forces are calling upon the military to put into effect a law that would forbid the use of religion in politics. The paper quotes several liberal and secular politicians as warning against the recurrence of religious propaganda in the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for September.
Most secularists were alarmed by religious interference in the 19 March referendum on constitutional amendments. Salafis had argued that voting "yes" was a religious obligation. Although the Muslim Brotherhood did not use religious slogans in favor of the amendments, the group’s leaflets calling for a "yes" vote were distributed outside mosques in several places on the day before the poll.
According to Al-Shorouk, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed al-Beltagui opposed calls to divorce religion from politics, insisting that any group should have the right to express its views to the people and eventually, the ballot box will decide on the winner. If secular calls to ban religious campaigning are welcomed by the military, the Muslim Brotherhood’s famous slogan, “Islam is the Solution,” might come under threat. For decades, the Muslim Brotherhood has used the slogan to spearhead its electoral campaigns.
The privately-owned daily Al-Dostour runs a headline on its front page reading “Mohamed Badie invites Copts to join the Muslim Brotherhood political party." Badie, the group’s supreme guide, said that this invitation aims at assuring Copts that the Brotherhood does not pose a threat to them. To encourage Copts to join the ranks of his party, Badie said the party will not play a missionary role, according to the paper. He went on to say that the Freedom and Justice Party will provide social services such as hospitals, schools and artistic activities, according to Al-Dostour.
The paper quotes Gamal Heshmat, a middle-generation Muslim Brotherhood leader, as saying that the group’s party does not oppose the nomination of a Copt or a woman to the presidency. Yet it remains in question whether this position will be adopted in the Muslim Brotherhood's official party platform, which is expected to be unveiled soon.
