Great news: Vigilante religious police springing up in Egypt

For 25-year-old Suzie, who is Muslim thanks to her father, Egypt has become a dichotomy of faith and honor. Now, she fears the rise of online groups espousing to uphold the country’s “morality.” These “morality police” groups are gaining steam, and for many Egyptians, especially women, the idea has them fearful that the country could quickly turn into an ultra-conservative Islamic state akin to Saudi Arabia…

Already, Egyptians are reporting members of the group have entered shops, cafes and other Egyptian locations to lecture owners on the un-Islamic nature of their businesses, often referring to places that sell body-clinging women’s clothes and alcohol as haram, or forbidden in Islam.

The group claims that the Al-Nour Party had told members of the organization that they would support their efforts if they came to power ahead of parliamentary elections, which began November 30. However, the Salafist party, in a statement on it official Facebook page, has denied any relationship with the committee and distanced themselves from the group.