Egyptian Islamists put sharia law on agenda after election gains

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Guardian

Egypt's ultra-conservative Islamist party plans to push for a stricter religious code in Egypt after claiming surprisingly strong gains in the first round of parliamentary elections.

Islamists led by the Muslim Brotherhood and radical Salafists appear to have taken a majority of seats in the first round of Egypt's first parliamentary vote since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak.

Spokesman Yousseri Hamad said the Salafi Nour party, which wants sharia law to be an integral part of Egypt's new constitution, expected to get 30% of the vote and was leading the polls in the rural Nile delta province of Kafr el-Sheik, known for high rates of illiteracy and poverty, and in parts of its longtime stronghold of Alexandria.

Hamad said the party faced its toughest challenge in Cairo because of the small presence of Salafi supporters there but polling elsewhere has put it in a strong position to influence policy. Hamad said his party was willing to co-operate with secular, liberal and Islamist forces "if it will serve the interest of the nation".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/02/egyptian-election-islamists-sharia-law

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Egypt parliament election had 62 percent turnout.

CAIRO (AP) — The head of Egypt's election commission says 62 percent of eligible voters turned out for the first round of parliamentary elections.

Abdel-Mooaez Ibrahim called the number "the highest since the time of pharaohs."

The parliamentary election is the first since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising in February. The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm is expected to take the largest share of votes, followed by an ultraconservative Islamist party and a coalition of liberal parties called the Egyptian bloc.

More than 13 million voters cast ballots in Monday and Tuesday's vote, the first of three rounds for the lower house. Three other rounds lasting until march will elect the less powerful upper house.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i4z5yXyCGolmBwj_ze1EyZ5c-oGw?docId=1470b49e84054442bcbf6276b6bb314b

[msongs]

1. the muslim police state, imposition of exclusionary religion. no better than mubarak nt

[joshguitar]

3. it is so very odd

Its a pattern I ve seen before, American says "Deocratic vote, good fr them" but when informed of the results claims that they are invalid. I dont mean to be dismissive here but people either have a right to self-determine their gov or not. I believe they do. Its not our election.

[saras]

4. Some Americans aren't that purist about "democracy" and understand that it requires education...

It's always possible for people to democratically vote their power away. The real test, the only real test, is if the next generation doesn't agree with that choice, can they get their power back, or have their parents fucked them forever?

[joshguitar]

8. true nt

[DCBob]

13. Well even with education some voters still often vote against their best interest.

Case in point: poor unemployed Republicans.

[appal_jack]

5. I disagree, in part.

Hi josh,

I agree 100% that "Its not our election." Self determination is a laudable goal for all peoples, and I'm not going to lose much sleep over a majority of Egyptians voting away their own liberties by electing a bunch of hard-line theocrats. After all, they are half way around the world from me; our own energy as Americans is best expended looking out for freedom right here.

That said, I share the core American value, expressed by Jefferson, that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I believe that certain rights and liberties ought not be up to a majority vote, especially those liberties enumerated in our Bill of Rights, plus the 14th Amendment, etc. I will fight for these rights here in the USA, and count myself as an ally to any who fight for similar rights in their own country, no matter how small a minority they might be.

-app

[joshguitar]

9. well said, that sounds lovely.

I agree! I guess I just wonder if that is cultural relativity. Perhaps Egyptians would say that they would not vote away Islam. Im really not trying to be argumentative here, just trying to see both sides. Its a fine line between respecting the liberty of the minority and projecting our values upon another culture.

PS: I love the 14th ammendment! that, the 1st and the 9th are my favs!!

[DCBob]

7. I suspect most Egyptians would disagree with you.;

[Uncle Joe]

2. Congratulations to the winning parties of those nations.

Time will tell whether their perceived mandate or Godate holds up, govern wisely.

Thanks for the thread, dipsydoodle.

[applegrove]

6. They did a poll in Egypt as the arab spring was going on. A majority said that religious apostates

should face the death penaly. I thought then... this is not good...

[AverageJoe90]

10. Somehow, I found that a little hard to believe. And about the elections.

Is there some serious fraud going on?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5078732

I had a feeling for quite a while that something funky was going on. Now I wonder if my suspicions have been validated.

[applegrove]

11. Here is an article on the egyptian apostate death penalty issue.

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1346582?eng=y

[No Elephants]

12. When the U.S. was the only power in Iraq, all of sharia law was incorporated into the Iraqi

constitution by reference.

So, I don't think we have a lot of room to talk.

I just hope and pray that the election was honest, whatever "honest election" means anymore.