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| Egypt's Salafis |
CAIRO - If a new political force here has its way, public stonings, whippings and the lopping-off of hands will become the law in the Land of the Pharaohs. It all would help return Egypt to "an Islamic state (of) the Middle Ages," in the words of one Salafist. Even before President Hosni Mubarak fell from power on Feb. 11, many Western and Egyptian analysts worried that the world's most populous Arab nation -- and America's most crucial Arab ally of three decades -- might tumble into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood... More troubling to outside observers, and to many Egyptians, are the Salafis. Recognizable by their long beards and galabiyas, or ankle-length gowns, Salafis are widely accused of fomenting sectarian tension across Egypt. Once devoted to proselytizing and known for shunning politics, Salafis have formed three political parties. The word salaf means "ancestors" in Arabic, and Salafis try to emulate the first three generations of Muslim leaders dating to the seventh century. In many ways, they resemble the arch-fundamentalist Wahabis of Saudi Arabia. They follow no centralized hierarchy; their religious philosophy can vary, as can their newfound political ideology. Yet, in interviews with the Tribune-Review, Salafis supporting different parties agreed on one thing: They want Egypt to be an Islamic state governed by Shariah, the Islamic legal system. 'We want an Islamic state' Full Story>>
Egypt's Salafis: "We want an Islamic state like the one that was in the Middle Ages" http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/nation-world/s_749263.html
