As parliamentary elections approach, many are confused by the emergence of nine Islamist parties competing over votes based on religion. While these new parties are founded using principles of Islamic Sharia, they have yet to clarify the nuances that differentiate their programmes. Citizens in Fayoum will be facing some confusion as five of these parties openly compete for their votes.
Ghada Moawad, a secretary, expresses her concern, "We don't know which Islam to choose, that of the Freedom and Justice party or the Salafist Al-Noor party or that of the Wasat Party. They all speak in the name of Islam and raise the banner of Sharia. We are all confused after the revolution and it seems that political freedom distracts us."
‘Raging wars’ between allies
"All sheikhs should refrain from political work, because it is not appropriate for them to attack each other," says Hussein, adding, "We do not know which of them are telling the truth and which are tricking us."
"I expect the upcoming elections to be a raging war," said Mohamed Abdel Tawab, a technician, nothing that his work colleagues have already begun campaigning for various Islamist parties. “Members of the MB are talking about their experience in political work and their historic struggles against the previous regime. Meanwhile, Al-Wasat party members accuse the MB of mixing religious proselytization with political campaigning. The Salafists speak of the strict application of Islamic Sharia law and find many supporters in Egyptian streets as well as thousands of others in smaller villages and towns.”
Rivalry between parties has sometimes led to arguments within individual households, according to incidents related by Hassan Ibrahim, a merchant. An MB youth campaigning for the Freedom and Justice party clashed with his father who told him he "had given his word to the Salafi sheikh." Besides, as he told his son, "you are all men of God." Apart from the nuances that differentiate each party's programme and whether or not they may have the citizens' best interests at heart, politics has thus appeared to have polarised families.
Islamists lament void left by former regime
Political activist Ahmad Mostafa, too, notes that Islamist parties now resemble the NDP in their monopoly of the political sphere. According to Mostafa, the Freedom and Justice party's methodology in dealing with different political forces is similar to that of former regime. Meanwhile, the Salafist Al-Noor party has no experience with political work and is indecisive about everything in Fayoum, from choosing party members to deciding which candidates to nominate for the elections. For its part, the Al-Wasat party seeks to emulate the Freedom and Justice party but has no clear vision. For these reasons, all of these parties' performance has been found by many to be lacking.
Trust-based reassurances
For his part, Dr. Wagih El-Sheemy, a university professor and the Al-Noor party secretary for the districts of Abshway and Youssef El-Seddiq, believes these fears to be exaggerated. According to El-Sheemy, competition over citizens’ votes can only contribute to deepening of political thought, especially since the current political scene allows a choice among Islamist, Liberal and Leftist parties.
*Uncredited pictures provided by journalist.
