Islamists have won a landslide in Egypt, with the Muslim Brotherhood and the ultra-Conservative Al Nour party
winning some 60 per cent of the votes cast. Future rounds of elections may benefit them further, as they take pace in more rural and conservative areas. Their success should be a surprise to
nobody.
Egypt is a conservative Muslim society. Islamists have been far better organised than the ragtag revolutionaries that ousted Hosni Mubarak, having run million-person charities for decades. They also benefit from being seen as un-corrupt and having been opposed to Mubarak for years. Further, they have been able to run on a simple slogan ‘Islam is the Solution’ without having to demonstrate why.
Finally, the Egyptian election has taken pace against a backdrop of cultural Islamisation, promoted by the Mubarak regime. While the Egyptian state cracked down on Islamists politically, it sought to advance Islamic culture as a way to blunt the claim that suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood was in anyway anti-Islamic.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in