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Egypt Islamists on Eve of Power Ease Talk of Islam

(AP) Hadeel al-Shalchi - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has eased off talk of Islamic-style legislation, saying it will focus on fixing Egypt's ailing economy, and it has backed off introducing further explicit Islamic references in the new constitution it will have a major hand in writing. "We can't talk about implementing Islamic Shariah law when the country is experiencing such devastating economic problems," said Mohammed Gouda, a Brotherhood policymaker and member of the party's economic committee. The Brotherhood feels little need to push through legislation enforcing an Islamic vision, he and other members say, especially since Egyptian society is already deeply religious and conservative. In the newly elected parliament which opens Monday, 47% of the 498 lawmakers will belong to the Brotherhood. Another quarter will be Salafis, a more radical Islamic group.
2012-01-23 00:00:00
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