In Egyptian presidential race, Muslim clerics seek to select candidates
Some presidential candidates have been appearing before committees of islamic clerics who vet them as suitable candidates according to strict conservative islamic observance and questions concerning the implementation of sharia,according to a report by AP.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/In-Egyptian-pre...
Traditionally salafist clerics did not interfere in politics but now, after the fall of Mubarak. There are now several groups organising themselves in to committees and seeking to influence the political process.
The salafists are a very diverse group with differing views and they disagree amngst themselves as well as with the largest islamic group,the Muslim Brothers.
There are several organizations of Salafi clerics, each trying to decide which one of the candidates to back.
The main contenders for their endorsement are the two top Islamists ; the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohammed Morsi, and Abdel-Moneim Abolfotou, a moderate who broke with the Brotherhood last year.the Religious Legal Commission for Rights and Reform announced its backing for Morsi, after more than 30 hours of meetings with 10 candidates it invited for interviews.
The panel went through a list of over 30 questions with each, topped by how the candidate intends to implement Islamic Shariah law, what his foreign policy will be and how he would deal with the clerics if elected, AP reports.
Other religious salafist groups are divided on whether to support Mhammed Morsi or Abdel-Moneim Abolfotouh. Some Salafists fear the dominance of the Muslim Brotherhood and its confrontation with the Armed Forces Council, SCAF when it demanded that the Ganzouri cabinet be replaced by the Freedom and Justice Party ,(FJP) which holds the majority of seats in both houses of parliament and represents the Muslim Brotherhood. If this confntation continues , the salafists fear a crackdown on islamists.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been out manoeuvered by SCAF as the election commission disqulified the leading Musliml Brother candidate Khairat al-Shater.The Brotherhood's decision to field a candidate, after saying it would not do so, seems to have disconcerted salafists and secularists alike. They fear that the Brotherhood is becoming too powerful with a majority in bgoth houses in parliament.
The Brotherhood's attempt to take control of the consitutional assembly deciding the consitute has been blocked and new assembly members wil be appointed shortly to draw up the new consitution.
Amr Moussa the leading secular candidate with name recognition and an established record as a statesman has not had to appear before a salafist clerical commission. Many will hope that he will be elected President as a counterbalance to the overwhelming influence of the Muslim Brotherhood but this is by no means certain.
One of the saddest things about the presidential election is that all the candidates are comparatively old, the young who carried forward the revolution and sacrificed their lives are not represented in the presidential race.
The salafists are a very diverse group with differing views and they disagree amngst themselves as well as with the largest islamic group,the Muslim Brothers.
There are several organizations of Salafi clerics, each trying to decide which one of the candidates to back.
The main contenders for their endorsement are the two top Islamists ; the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohammed Morsi, and Abdel-Moneim Abolfotou, a moderate who broke with the Brotherhood last year.the Religious Legal Commission for Rights and Reform announced its backing for Morsi, after more than 30 hours of meetings with 10 candidates it invited for interviews.
The panel went through a list of over 30 questions with each, topped by how the candidate intends to implement Islamic Shariah law, what his foreign policy will be and how he would deal with the clerics if elected, AP reports.
Other religious salafist groups are divided on whether to support Mhammed Morsi or Abdel-Moneim Abolfotouh. Some Salafists fear the dominance of the Muslim Brotherhood and its confrontation with the Armed Forces Council, SCAF when it demanded that the Ganzouri cabinet be replaced by the Freedom and Justice Party ,(FJP) which holds the majority of seats in both houses of parliament and represents the Muslim Brotherhood. If this confntation continues , the salafists fear a crackdown on islamists.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been out manoeuvered by SCAF as the election commission disqulified the leading Musliml Brother candidate Khairat al-Shater.The Brotherhood's decision to field a candidate, after saying it would not do so, seems to have disconcerted salafists and secularists alike. They fear that the Brotherhood is becoming too powerful with a majority in bgoth houses in parliament.
The Brotherhood's attempt to take control of the consitutional assembly deciding the consitute has been blocked and new assembly members wil be appointed shortly to draw up the new consitution.
Amr Moussa the leading secular candidate with name recognition and an established record as a statesman has not had to appear before a salafist clerical commission. Many will hope that he will be elected President as a counterbalance to the overwhelming influence of the Muslim Brotherhood but this is by no means certain.
One of the saddest things about the presidential election is that all the candidates are comparatively old, the young who carried forward the revolution and sacrificed their lives are not represented in the presidential race.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/In-Egyptian-pre...