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Egypt's population is about 90 percent Muslim, primarily Sunni. The other 10 percent are Coptic Christian. According to the CIA Fact book, ethnic Egyptians comprise 99.6 percent of the 82 million population. So it should not be surprising that the Muslim Brotherhood won the largest majority of seats in the first round of democratic elections still going on. But is that bad? Can that in anyway be worse than the oppresive rule of Mubarak? Or perhaps the more radical Nour Party? It is the Egyptian people deciding, and it doesn't matter what the outside world thinks or does. It is democracy in action.
As the Washington Post reports today (December 3rd): "The deputy head of the Brotherhood’s new political party, Essam el-Erian, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group is not interested in imposing Islamic values on Egypt, home to a sizable Christian minority and others who object to being subject to strict Islamic codes.
“We represent a moderate and fair party,” el-Erian said of his Freedom and Justice Party. “We want to apply the basics of Shariah law in a fair way that respects human rights and personal rights,” he said, referring to Islamic law.
"The comments were the clearest indication that the Brotherhood was distancing itself from the ultraconservative Islamist Nour Party, which appears to have won the second-largest share of votes in the election’s first phase. The Nour Party espouses a strict interpretation of Islam similar to that of Saudi Arabia, where the sexes are segregated and women must be veiled and are barred from driving."
Furthermore, from the Muslim Brotherhood website:
The Muslim Brotherhood's Imam el-Banna states that "Islam is a comprehensive program that encompasses all aspects of life...a civic state, i.e. a state of institutions, based on the principles of constitutional government."
“The principles of constitutional government consist of: maintaining all kinds of personal freedom, consultation and deriving authority from the people, responsibility of the government before the people and its accountability for its actions, and the clear demarcation of power of each branch of government."
"We consider our Coptic brothers as citizens enjoying all rights associated with citizenship and as part of the fabric of the Egyptian society. We consider them as partners in the country, in decision-making and in determining our future. Consequently, the basis for filling public posts shall be efficiency, ability and experience, not religion or beliefs."