22 November 2011

Egyptian mufti plays down bias against Christians, Islamists’ vote strength

Egypt’s highest Islamic legal official denied on Tuesday that minority Christians faced sectarian discrimination and said Islamists would win no more than 20 percent of votes in next week’s election.

Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa said Egypt had done its best to abolish discrimination against Copts, who make up 10 percent of Egypt’s roughly 80 million population, but a small minority of radical salafist Islamists were causing trouble.

.... Gomaa said no more than 250,000 Egyptians were salafists, or radical Islamists, and they and the non-violent Islamist Muslim Brotherhood would win less than one-fifth of the vote. “In the elections, the Islamists will not get more than 20 percent,” Gomaa said through an interpreter. “I’m sure the majority of Egyptians are with the moderate voice of Islam.” [Reuters Blogs - FaithWorld] Read more