Rural Egypt Holds Key to Political Future

Young Egyptians led protests resulting in the fall of the Mubarak regime, but a year later, elections resulting in a parliament dominated by Islamists suggest that the nation could be in for more restrictions than freedoms. With the help of rural, uneducated and poor Egyptians, a party of Salafists known as Nour won a quarter of the seats, reports Rupert Wingfield-Hayes for BBC News. The promise of conservative Islamists to enact Sharia law and crack down on crime appealed to many voters who are weary of corruption. The problem is the definition of crime: Islamists are most vehement in opposing alcoholic beverages, men and women together on beaches, and other activities common among international tourists. Democracy in Egypt is highlighting severe conservative viewpoints, which could undermine tolerance, freedoms, economic prosperity and a focus on the most serious forms of corruption before the parliament even gets started. – YaleGlobal