(AP) Hadeel al-Shalchi - Egypt's parliamentary elections have brought the political debut of the ultraconservative Islamist Salafi movement. On Monday, Salafis packed the lines at voting stations in Alexandria an hour before the polls opened, clearly distinguishable by the moustache-less beards of the men and the blanketing robes and veils of the women that leave nothing visible but their eyes. After the lifting of Mubarak's autocratic hand, newly created Salafi parties have flooded onto the scene, challenging the Muslim Brotherhood's near monopoly on the religious bloc. Salafis advocate a Saudi-style hard-line interpretation of Islam.
2011-11-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive