ALEXANDRIA, Egypt – For Egypt's most conservative Islamists, the country's firstcompetitive presidential election has been a test of theirpolitical savvy as they try to plant the seeds for turning thecountry into an Islamic state. The Salafis, known for their no-compromise, literal interpretationof the faith, are political newcomers. They long concentrated onpreaching and many of them shunned involvement in politics,believing it would require sinful concessions. Some of theirclerics even said Western-style democracy itself is dangerous sinceit could override God's rule and laws.
But in the landmark presidential vote, the first round of which washeld Wednesday and Thursday, Egypt's Salafis tested the waters ofelectoral maneuvering as they tried to choose which of two mainIslamist candidates to back. They experienced fissures andstruggled to coalesce, but are still having a strong impact. During the voting, Sheik Abdel-Khaliq Saleh — clearlydistinguishable as a Salafi by his long, moustache-less beard— stood preaching in his usual spot, next to a cart thatsells watermelons on the corner of the street in one of theMediterranean city of Alexandria's poorest neighborhoods. He had one simple message for his followers: Vote for Abdel-MoneimAbolfotoh.
It's an odd marriage for Salafis. Abolfotoh is a moderate Islamistwho has touted an inclusive platform that brought support from someliberals, leftists and minority Christians. In the past he hasembraced positions diametrically opposed to Salafis, like saying aChristian could be president or that books touting atheism need notbe censored. But several major Salafi organizations backed him in the race,convinced that while he likely won't implement Islamic law rightnow, he will give Salafis room to preach.
Sheik Saleh said he is no rush to build an Islamic state. TheSalafis right now are in the stage of "daawa," or "spreading theword," encouraging people to turn to Shariah, the Islamic way oflife. "It took the Prophet Muhammad 23 years to spread Islam to thepeople," he said. "The important thing is to plant the seed first." Not all Salafis agree.
Some came out for Mohammed Morsi, thecandidate of the more moderate Muslim Brotherhood, who has beenforthright in saying he will implement Islamic Shariah law and isbacked by the Brotherhood's powerful and experienced electoralorganization. After polls closed Thursday night, the Brotherhoodclaimed Morsi was the top vote-getter, putting him in a secondround of voting next month, though final results were not expecteduntil Tuesday. Sheik Abol-Yazid Gouda said he rejects the pragmatism cited byother Salafis for backing Abolfotoh. Salafis, he said, cannotcompromise and nothing should come before Shariah.
"We don't shave our beards just to get a job in government," hesaid. Morsi "is more Islamist," he added, speaking in an apartmentthat serves as a Salafi-run madrasa, or school, for teaching theQuran in the Abu Suleiman district of Alexandria. Salafis have been actively laying the groundwork since the 1970s,when they first began mobilizing in their base of Alexandria.Salafi-run mosques offer Quran lessons, a place to pray andguidance for residents in some of Egypt's poorest neighborhoods.They operate more than 200 mosques in the Alexandria slums of AbuSuleiman and Seyouf alone, Sheik Saleh said. Salafis believe their top duty is "daawa" and they have succeededin winning over several million followers over past decades. Theywould have spread the message even further, they say, if not fornearly four decades of government oppression, arrests, torture andharassment under Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled in an uprising lastyear.
Unlike the Brotherhood, Egypt's most organized political force inexistence for 80 years, Salafis have historically been moreconcerned with religious outreach, not politics. Their vision of Islam is more hard-line and puritanical than mostmembers of the Brotherhood, which groups a wider spectrum. Salafiwomen, for example, almost universally wear the "niqab," a blackrobe and veil that covers the entire body, leaving only a slit forthe eyes. Generally, Brotherhood women, in contrast, wear simply ascarf over their hair.
The Salafis acknowledge that their vision of a state, whichincludes banning the sale of alcohol, segregating the sexes andclosing down beaches where women wear bikinis, will not likely comeabout at the hands of Abolfotoh. But Yasser Bourhami, an influential cleric from the Dawa Salafia,Egypt's main Salafi organization, has said Abolfotoh pledged to thegroup that, if elected, he would allow Salafis a free rein topreach in mosques and religious schools. The Salafis got their first taste of politics in parliamentaryelections late last year, in which their main party, Al-Nour,snapped up a quarter of the seats. The showing, which surprisedmany Egyptians, made them the second largest faction after theBrotherhood. The Brotherhood's power has worried some Salafis.
Salafis abandoneda brief alliance with the group during the parliament electioncampaign, saying the group was too domineering, and it left a tasteamong some that a Brotherhood president would try to control theultraconservatives. Sheik Gouda, the Brotherhood supporter, suggested the backing ofAbolfotoh was a cynical, pragmatic political move against theBrotherhood. "They did not choose Abolfotoh out of love for him, but as a jab tothe Brotherhood," he said. But others say support of Abolfotoh reflected the need for parityin politics.
"The Brotherhood made gains in parliament and we want there to be abalance," Ahmed Kamel, the Alexandria head of the Gamaa Islamiya,once an armed militant group that has forsworn violence. "Who willhold them accountable if they win the presidency and haveparliament?" Kamel said he spent 14 years in prison under Mubarak, until he was36 years old, for his activities with the Gamaa. During that time,he said he saw hundreds of the group's members tortured and somedying in prison. "We learned patience in jail," he said, acknowledging that whileAbolfotoh is not the most Islamist of the two candidates, he may atleast provide Salafis an opportunity to practice their faith.
Mohammed Sarhan, who manages the main Salafi website in Egypt, AnaSalafi, says the most important thing in the coming years isfreedom to preach so that their message is more widely understoodand accepted. "We are always in a state of daawa," he said. "We know Shariah willnot be put in place in four years.". I am Wiring Accessories writer, reports some information about deck shoes canvas , cowboy boots exotic.
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