Coptic opinion split over who to support for president in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 23 and 24 May
Coptic opinion split over who to support for president in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 23 and 24 May.
In a conference held in Cairo on Sunday by the NGO al-Hay’a al-Aama lil-Aqbat (The General Association for Copts), the NGO’s head Sherif Doss called upon Copts to support the Islamist candidate Abdel-Moniem Abul-Fotouh for Egypt’s presidency.
Doss’s argument was that an Islamist win was inevitable; “some 70 per cent of Egyptians will vote for one of the four Islamist candidates,” he said. “We must admit that the Islamist movements are superbly organised, and have the ability to rally the normally pious mainstream Egyptians behind them.
“If you are afraid of the application of Islamic sharia,” Doss said, “Sharia is already applied. Just look around you and see the extent of Islamisation of the country. Abul-Fotouh has said nothing new by decflaring he calls for an Islamist State in which sharia is applied.” This being the case, he said, it is in the interest of Copts to go for a moderate Islamist.
Doss’s argument, however, spurred a lot of criticism, and exposed just haw varied the Coptic political scene is. The majority of the attendants insisted that Copts should vote for a candidate who calls for a civil State. If the runoff—scheduled for 16 and 17 June—however, are contested by tow Islamist candidates then, and only then, will the vote for the moderate one. Many said it was impossible for the Copts to relinquish their efforts for a civil State.
WATANI International
8 May 2012