http://www.majalla.com/en/news_analysis/article298350.ece
Salafists tackle the Egyptian scene Egyptian Muslim women wearing niqab and joining Cairo protests Published: Thursday 03 March 2011 Updated: Thursday 03 March 2011 After the High Military Council's constitutional declaration-which included suspending the Egyptian constitution and establishing a special committee to make the proper amendments-Salafists staged mass protests against any possible changes to the second article, which states that Islam is the religion of Egypt and that Islamic law is the source of legislation. Around five thousand Salafists were gathered in Al-Ahram mosque in Cairo and blocked the Haram road-one of the most vital roads in Giza governorate-for hours, until the Imam finished his speech. Hundreds joined the conferences in different governorates such as Matrouh, Mansoura, Tanta and Assiut for the same reason; releasing statements against any amendments undermining "the Islamic identity of Egypt." Muhammad Hassan, a charismatic Salafist leader, convened the Mansoura conference. Hassan had previously appeared among the crowds of protesters at Tahrir square and tried to speak to them, but his speech was interrupted and he was not received warmly. However, he appeared later on Al-Arabiya TV in an attempt to emphasize the Salafist presence on the streets during the demonstrations and take credit for the uprising. Notably, a few days after the bombing of the Saints Coptic Church in Alexandria in January, State Security forces interrogated a Salafist from Alexandria called Sayyed Bilal, who ultimately died under severe torture. Salafist propaganda has since tried to present Bilal as the first martyr of the revolution. It is likely that the ostensible concerns over the second article of the constitution may not be the genuine reason for the mass protests of the Salafists. It has been made clear from the beginning that the government committee will discuss amending six specific articles to ensure the transparency of the electoral process-amendment of the second article has never been on the table. The strong display of Salafists took place in major Egyptian cities, delivering statements and attracting media coverage chiefly in order to deliver the message that their numbers are many. Salafism has technically been banned in Egypt since Anwar El-Sadat was assassinated by a Salafist offshoot group. However, adherents have managed to gain a growing popularity in Egypt after Sadat released them from concentration camps and thousands of Egyptians returned from Islamic studies abroad. Finally, the most compelling explanation for their revival is the declining credibility of Al-Azhar-the official Islamic institution in Egypt among the people. Egyptian Salafists were at one point able to broadcast from several satellite television channels, attracting a lot of attention and forming an alternative Islamic stream in Egypt. This led Nilesat, the Egyptian satellite service, to block these channels. However, since the resignation of Mubarak, the banned channels have come back online. The basic issue being negotiated among Salafists is the question of enrolling in the political battlefield. There was a rethink concerning political contribution after Sadat's assassination, but now the road is prepared for a contribution without the fear of arrest. The New Movement of Islamic Jama'a declared that it's preparing to establish a new political party called The Humanitarian Bloc for Reformation and Change after the success of Al-Wassat, formed by former Muslim Brotherhood members, which was approved in court as the first Egyptian party with an Islamic background. Notably, the Muslim Brotherhood is in the process of establishing its own party "Freedom and Justice." The demands of the Salafists, to establish their own political parties, will increase the challenges facing a country that hopes to establish a civil state with equal citizenship rights. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood-which is a different Islamist stream-has refused to pass comment on the Salafist activities, as it prefers to concentrate on its own political objectives. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
