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Islamicism divides Egyptians
Egyptians are deeply skeptical about the United States and its role in their country, but they are also divided in their attitudes about Islamic fundamentalists, according a poll released Monday by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.
Egyptians are deeply skeptical about the United States and its role in their country, but they are also divided in their attitudes about Islamic fundamentalists, according a poll released Monday by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.
Most Egyptians distrust the US and want to renegotiate their peace treaty with Israel, the poll found. But only 31% say they sympathise with fundamentalists, while 30% say they sympathise with those who disagree with fundamentalists. An additional 26% said they had mixed views.
The poll is the first comprehensive look at attitudes of Egyptians since protests forced President Hosni Mubarak to end his 30-year reign in February.
The numbers reveal a society that overwhelmingly agrees that Mubarak was bad for the country but is divided about what the future should look like. Although 75% were positive about the Muslim Brotherhood, which was officially banned under Mubarak and is now the strongest political organisation in the country, almost as many - 70% - felt positively about the youth-based April 6 movement that was mostly secular and was one of the key organisers of the protests.
A majority of the country wants Egypt's laws to strictly follow the Quran - 62% - and even among those who disagree with Islamic fundamentalists, the number only drops to 47%.
The April 6 youth organisers have struggled to determine how best to translate their successes into influence in the political future of the country.
The Muslim Brotherhood, on the other hand, benefits from a preexisting political organisation in a country that has few of them.
(In association with The Washington Post. For additional content from The Washington Post, visit www.washingtonpost.com)
