Meet the Salafis

After decades of trying to convince Egypt’s liberals, leftists, and other activists of their seriousness in solving the country’s titanic economic problems, the Brothers suddenly find themselves forced to talk about how and when they will implement Islamic law. Not only do their efforts to bolster the movement’s religious credentials promise to cause tensions with the other parliamentary blocs, but conflicts with the al-Nour Party will also provide useful fodder for Egypt’s calculating military rulers, who could exploit the rivalry to keep themselves in power and above scrutiny…

After about 20 minutes of useless chatter, AbdulRahman finally stuck the knife into his competitors. “I would say that Salafis and the Nour Party are more aware of the religious sciences and know religion more than the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said.

The parties’ disagreement over how quickly to implement sharia law, AbdulRahman explained, is at the center of their conflict. “For the Nour Party, one of the primary major goals is to implement sharia at the nearest possible opportunity,” he said…

Yes, Yousef admits, the Brotherhood also wants to implement Islamic law — but only gradually, with a horizon measured in decades, so that society is prepared. “Nour sees it as a hammerhead action of total transformation to a sharia system,” he told me.