Egypt's el-Shater will push for Islamic law

[DJKeefy]

El-Shater, whose candidacy for the May election sent political shock waves throughout the post-uprising country, said implementing the sharia was "his first and final goal," said the Legal Authority for Rights and Reform after meeting with him on Tuesday.

Shater, who stepped down as the Brotherhood's deputy leader to run, said "he would work to form a group of scholars to support parliament in achieving that goal," according to a statement on the group's website.

When asked by AFP, a senior official with Shater's campaign did not deny the statement, but clarified that Shater shared his electoral programme with the Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party.

The FJP calls for an "Islamic, constitutional and democratic" state, but not a "theocracy," which it defines as rule by religious men. The Muslim Brotherhood advocates an Islamist state achieved through peaceful means.

The official said Shater, who has refused interview requests, would prioritise "democratic institution building and an economic renaissance" if elected.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he added that Shater "is committed to the constitution and Article 2, which all Egyptians agree on."

The constitution was suspended by the military after an uprising overthrew president Hosni Mubarak last year. Article 2 stipulates that the principles of Islamic law are the main source of legislation.

But there is not universal interpretation of sharia.
Many Coptic Christians, who comprise about 10 percent of Egypt's 80-population, worry about the growing power of Islamists in the country, but Shater's campaign official said he would guarantee them their rights.

Secularists and liberals are also concerned.
Mainstream Islamic scholars say sharia, which stipulates punishments such as amputation for theft and stoning for adultery, offers Christians and Jews protection under an Islamic state. But they believe that only Muslim men can rule.

The candidacy of Shater, jailed under Mubarak and released only after his overthrow, created a rare public rift within the powerful Islamist movement which liberal opponents accuse of trying to monopolise power.

The Brotherhood is now trying to persuade other Islamist candidates to stand down in favour of Shater.

Source: http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.p ... s&id=23766

[Hafiz]

The Brotherhood may speak with a number of voices depending on the audience or the spokesman. Some of those vioces maybe more moderate. For example local identity Dr. Dardery seems to have a somewhat different take on the ‘program’ as reported in the Egyptian Gazette. Maybe like most political organizations there are a number of factions within the Brotherhood.

Egyptian Gazette 5 April 2012

‘A delegation from the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political wing of the once-banned Islamist movement, has been making the Washington rounds talking to officials and think tank experts about their growing role as Egypt heads toward presidential elections….Abdul Mawgoud Dardery, an FJP lawmaker from Luxor, said the party was dedicated to the principle of a "civil state" and the objectives of sharia law rather than its specific practice. "The principles are universal: freedom, human rights, justice for all. This is the priority of the Freedom and Justice Party," he said at the Georgetown (University) event…

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Egyptian delegation had met with "low-level" officials at the National Security Council, and they were also expected to meet officials at the State Department….The FJP team took pains to appear both reasonable and flexible during their Washington visit, quoting both from the Koran and from the US self-help manual "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," and depicting themselves as the true heirs of the uprising in Cairo's Tahrir Square.’

See also Daily Best April 5, Reuters April 5 and Washington Post for fuller reports from the US point of View.

[TonyC]

The other side of the coin, perhaps? The second Egyptian Gazette story link is:
http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.p ... tic%20push

Though whether the Gazette has actually done any work as an Egyptian newspaper... The first story was provided by the AFP agency, the second by Reuters.

[Teddyboy]

"the objectives of sharia law rather than its specific practice."

Unless I'm very much mistaken, that's just about what we have now, isn't it? I know that when I discuss anything with my lawyer; he's always banging on about whatever it is must be in accord with the "Sharia". As far as I can see, and as long as the rights of non-Muslims are protected, these proposals from the FJP (and maybe from Mr El Shater as well) seem OK, with really only one stumbling block: "only Muslim men can rule"!

Stirring up scare stories can only cause unnecessary problems and fears, in my view.

[arsanyf]

After disqualification, it's now Morsi instead of Elshater

MB and FJP are generalizing it to what they called "mashrou' al nahda" instead of relying on one name that could be easily disqualified cause of our odd laws and regulations

[arsanyf]

The question remains asked by many:"Is Abou elFotouh the real MB candidate?"