Islamists March to Keep Christians from Voting in Egypt

[longknife]

As the Islamist-drafted constitution was voted on in Egypt last week, Christians who "deeply opposed it" remained at home rather than risk their lives to cast a vote against it.

By threatening and terrorizing those who rose up against Mohamed Morsi after Nov. 22nd, the Islamists have succeeded in securing a de facto disenfranchisement of Christians in southern Egypt.

Gee, what a kind, gentle religion. Read more @ Islamists March to Keep Christians from Voting in Egypt

 

[MDiver]

And this is a surprise?

 

[waltky]

Early signs show Egypt's new constitution passing...

Egypt's constitution approved in vote, say rival camps
Sat Dec 22, 2012 - A constitution drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly was approved by a majority of Egyptians in a referendum, rival camps said on Sunday, after a vote the opposition said drove a wedge through the Arab world's most populous nation.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled President Mohamed Mursi to power in a June election, said 64 percent of voters backed the charter after two rounds of voting that ended with a final ballot on Saturday. It cited an unofficial tally. An opposition official also told Reuters their unofficial count showed the result was a "yes" vote. The referendum committee may not declare official results for the two rounds until Monday, after hearing appeals. If the outcome is confirmed, a parliamentary election will follow in about two months.

Mursi's Islamist backers say the constitution is vital for the transition to democracy, nearly two years after the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in an uprising. It will provide stability needed to help a fragile economy, they say. But the opposition accuses Mursi of pushing through a text that favors Islamists and ignores the rights of Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population, as well as women. They say it is a recipe for further unrest. "According to our calculations, the final result of the second round is 71 percent voting 'yes' and the overall result (of the two rounds) is 63.8 percent," a Brotherhood official, who was in an operations room monitoring the vote, told Reuters. His figures were confirmed by a statement issued shortly afterwards by the group and broadcast on its television channel.

The Brotherhood and its party, as well as members of the opposition, had representatives monitoring polling stations and the vote count across the country. The opposition said voting in both rounds was marred by abuses and had called for a re-run after the first stage. However, an official said the overall vote favored the charter. "They (Islamists) are ruling the country, running the vote and influencing the people, so what else could we expect," the senior official from the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, told Reuters.

PROTESTS

See also:

Egypt's draft charter gets 'yes' majority in vote
Dec 22,`12 -- Egypt's Islamist-backed constitution received a "yes" majority in a final round of voting on a referendum that saw a low voter turnout, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil.

Passage is a victory for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, but a costly one. The bruising battle over the past month stripped away hope that the long-awaited constitution would bring a national consensus on the path Egypt will take after shedding its autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago. Instead, Morsi disillusioned many non-Islamists who had once backed him and has become more reliant on his core support in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. Hard-liners in his camp are determined to implement provisions for stricter rule by Islamic law in the charter, which is likely to further fuel divisions.

Saturday's voting in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces was the second and final round of the referendum. Preliminary results released early Sunday by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood showed that 71.4 percent of those who voted Saturday said "yes" after 95.5 percent of the ballots were counted. Only about eight million of the 25 million Egyptians eligible to vote - a turnout of about 30 percent - cast their ballots. The Brotherhood has accurately predicted election results in the past by tallying results provided by its representatives at polling centers. In the first round of voting, about 56 percent said "yes" to the charter. The turnout then was about 32 percent. The results of the two rounds mean the referendum was approved by about 63 percent.

Morsi's liberal and secular opposition now faces the task of trying to organize the significant portion of the population angered by what it sees as attempts by Morsi and the Brotherhood to gain a lock on political power. The main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, said it would now start rallying for elections for the lawmaking, lower house of parliament, expected early next year. "We feel more empowered because of the referendum. We proved that at least we are half of society (that) doesn't approve of all this. We will build on it," the Front's spokesman, Khaled Daoud, said. Still, he said, there was "no appetite" at the moment for further street protests.

MORE

 

[waltky]

Referendum puts Muslim Brotherhood in the catbird seat...

Analysis: Egypt's Islamists tighten grip on power
Dec 23,`12 -- With the passage of a divisive constitution, Egypt's Islamist leadership has secured its tightest grip on power since Hosni Mubarak's ouster nearly two years ago and laid the foundation for legislation to create a more religious state.

The opposition's response - a vow to keep fighting the charter and the program of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi - ensured that the turmoil of the past two years will not end as many, especially the tens of millions of poor craving stability, had fervently hoped. "The referendum is not the end game. It is only a battle in this long struggle for the future of Egypt," the opposition National Salvation Front said in a strongly worded statement on Sunday. "We will not allow a change to the identity of Egypt or the return of the age of tyranny," added the front, which claims the new constitution seeks to enshrine Islamic rule in Egypt and accuses the Islamists of trying to monopolize power.

Critics say the new constitution does not sufficiently protect the rights of women and minority groups and empowers Muslim clerics by giving them a say over legislation. Some articles were also seen as tailored to get rid of Islamists' enemies and undermine the freedom of labor unions. Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful political organization in the post-Mubarak era, claimed early Sunday that the charter it had backed was approved in the two-stage vote with a 64 percent "yes" vote overall. Though official results will not be announced until Monday, there is little doubt they will confirm the passage. Once the official result is out, Morsi is expected to call for a new election of parliament's lawmaking lower house within two months.

And if all of the elections since Mubarak's February 2011 ouster are any predictor, Islamists will again emerge dominant. In the last parliamentary vote in late 2011, the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies the Salafis - ultraconservative Islamists - won about 70 percent of seats. If Islamists win the overwhelming majority again, there is nothing to stop their lawmakers from legislating in support of their longtime goal of turning Egypt into an Islamic state. The Salafis will likely seek to enlist the support of the less radical Brotherhood for legislation that would nudge Egypt closer to a religious state.

Khalil el-Anani, a British-based expert on Islamic groups, said the Salafis are likely to insist that every piece of legislation conforms with Islamic Shariah law, especially with regard to questions of morality, culture, personal freedoms and the nation's identity. "The Salafis will want the Brotherhood to reward them for their campaigning for the `yes' vote," said el-Anani. "The Brotherhood, meanwhile, will want to rebuild their image as a credible democratic group after a period in which it seemed in complete alignment with the Salafis."

MORE

See also:

Egypt opposition alleges vote fraud in referendum
Dec 23,`12 -- Egypt's opposition said Sunday it will keep fighting the Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote in a referendum.

The opposition alleged vote fraud and demanded an investigation - a sign that the referendum will not end the turmoil that has roiled this country for nearly two years since the uprising that ousted authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak. Many Egyptians, especially the tens of millions who live in extreme poverty, had hoped the new constitution might usher in a period of more stability. A heated political debate over the past month leading up to the referendum at times erupted into deadly street battles. There were no mass opposition demonstrations on Sunday after the unofficial results came out. Renewed violence and political tensions have further imperiled Egypt's already precarious economy, reeling from dwindling resources and a cash-strapped government whose plans to borrow from the International Monetary Fund had to be pushed back because of the turmoil.

The finance ministry said Sunday the budget deficit reached $13 billion in the five months from July-November, about 4.5 percent higher compared to the same period last year. Official results of the referendum are not expected until Monday. If the unofficial numbers are confirmed, it will be a victory Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who is from the Brotherhood. But the opposition allegations look likely to prolong the fight. Beyond allegations of fraud, the opposition will likely challenge new laws issued on the basis of the constitution as well as Morsi's economic policies. "The referendum is not the end game. It is only a battle in this long struggle for the future of Egypt," said the National Salvation Front, the main opposition group. "We will not allow a change to the identity of Egypt or the return of the age of tyranny."

The opposition claims the new constitution seeks to enshrine Islamic rule in Egypt and accuses the Islamists of trying to monopolize power. Critics say it does not sufficiently protect the rights of women and minority groups and empowers Muslim clerics by giving them a say over legislation. Some articles were also seen as tailored to get rid of Islamists' enemies and undermine the freedom of labor unions. The latest political battle began with Morsi's Nov. 22 decrees that gave him powers to protect the Islamist-dominated panel writing the constitution and dismiss the country's top prosecutor, a holdover from the Mubarak era.

Although Morsi subsequently rescinded the powers that gave him immunity from judicial oversight, his decision to replace the prosecutor general was viewed by many in the judiciary as trampling over their powers. Hundreds of prosecutors held a rally Sunday demanding the new, Morsi-appointed prosecutor general quit, days after he retracted his resignation claiming it was rendered under pressure. The prosecutors said in a news conference that they will be on strike until he quits.

MORE

 

[waltky]

Granny says it musta been a buncha Mooslamic Brotherhoodlums inna backroom countin' the votes...

Egypt passes new constitution
December 23, 2012 - According to the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's Islamist-backed constitution passed with 64 percent of the vote. The passage is a victory for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood claimed Sunday that the Islamist-backed constitution has passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote, the day after the final voting in a two-round referendum that deeply divided the country. The constitution's critics however may contest the outcome. A spokesman for the main opposition group which has been campaigning for a "no" vote said there were "a lot" of irregularities in the voting. The Brotherhood's unofficial results come a day before the election commission is expected to announce the final official tally for voting organized over two weeks. The group has accurately tallied the outcome of past elections.

The passage of the constitution would be a victory for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political arm, said in a statement that it hoped the passage is a "historic opportunity" to heal Egypt's divisions and launch a dialogue to restore stability and build state institutions. But the comparatively low turnout of 32 percent of eligible voters, as well as allegations by the opposition of voting violations, threatened to undermine the constitution's legitimacy and keep Egypt polarized. Aside from a vocal opposition, Morsi is also facing a fragile economy, weathered by nearly two years of political turmoil and accompanying violence as well as nearly a month of political crisis that preceded the vote.

According to the Brotherhood tally based on results from individual polling stations as well as voting abroad, around 64 percent of the 16.6 million voters who cast ballots approved the constitution. Saturday's voting in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces was the second and final round of the referendum. Preliminary results released early by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood showed that 71 percent of those who voted Saturday said "yes," after 99 percent of polling stations were accounted for. Only about eight million of the 25 million Egyptians eligible to vote — a turnout of about 30 percent — cast their ballots, a significantly lower number than those who voted in most previous presidential and parliamentary elections.

In the first round of voting, about 56 percent said "yes" to the charter. The turnout then was about 32 percent. The local media has reported comparable results to the Brotherhood. The state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper said in its English language online version that 16.2 million cast their vote, and the constitution passed with a 63.96 percent. The main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, said it would continue to challenge the referendum results, based on reports of violations and vote meddling it has registered. "We are questioning the results," Khaled Dawoud, the front's spokesman, told The Associated Press. "We don't think the results reflect the true desires of the Egyptian people."

He said the opposition will be filing official complaints about observed irregularities such as supervisors who intentionally barred voters from casting their ballots, and a broader lack of blanket judicial supervision of the process. Many judges boycotted supervising the vote. The new constitution will come into effect once official results are announced, expected Monday. When they are, Morsi is expected to call for the election of parliament's lower chamber, the more powerful of the legislature's two houses, no more than two months later. The opposition said that even though it is challenging the results of the referendum, it will continue to prepare for the parliamentary elections. Until the lower chamber is elected, the normally toothless upper Shura Council will have legislative powers.

Egypt passes new constitution - CSMonitor.com

See also:

Egypt ex-jihadi group: opposition used violence
Dec 24,`12 -- The leader of a former jihadist group who is now a member of Egyptian parliament accused the largely secular opposition on Monday of using violence in the country's political struggle.

Another member of the same group, who served 29 years in prison for his role as a conspirator in the 1981 assassination of President Sadat, charged that opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi are trying to drag the country into a civil war. The two - Safwat Abdel-Ghani and Tarek el-Zumor - are members of the Islamic Group, or Gamaa Islamiya, which was among militant groups behind one of the longest waves of violence against the Egyptian regime in the 1980s and 1990s. The group renounced violence while most of its leaders were imprisoned under Hosni Mubarak's regime.

Since Mubarak's ouster in February 2011 following a popular uprising, the group has formed an Islamist political party and its leaders have become important players in the new political scene, dominated by Islamists. The accusations come amid a highly charged atmosphere in Egypt after a polarizing, monthlong fight over the Islamist-drafted constitution. The charter passed with 64 percent in a referendum, according to unofficial results. Official results had been expected on Monday but did not come out. An official at the electoral commission said it is currently reviewing more than 400 complaints of fraud and violations by the opposition before announcing the results on Tuesday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Abdel-Ghani was speaking at a news conference to launch his group's initiative for a national dialogue aimed at bridging the deep rifts. "There is no doubt that the opposition has failed miserably in achieving its goals. This failure has reasons," Abdel-Ghani told a news conference. "The first of these reasons is that it resorted to violence and used thugs to express its opinions." Abdel-Ghani was detained in 1981 as a suspect in Sadat's assassination but was released a few years later and not charged. He served other prison sentences in a later assassination of the parliament speaker in the 1990s. President Mohammed Morsi appointed him over the weekend to the upper house of parliament, just days before the chamber assumes temporary legislative powers.

Islamist groups have risen to domination over Egypt's government in the wake of the uprising, and some of them have threatened to push their own vigilantes to protect them against violent clashes. Islamist groups also accuse former regime officials of using the charged political atmosphere to create chaos and undermine Morsi. The opposition, made up of liberal and leftist groups, has accused Islamists of trying to clamp down on dissenting voices and spreading fear. "We call on all political forces in Egypt ... to immediately give up all elements that almost led Egypt to civil war and for all those who participated in this to apologize," said el-Zumor of Gamaa Islamiya.

MORE

 

[MDiver]

I seriously doubt that gun control is anything remotely close to this topic. You will find your opinion located on current events and guns.

 

[waltky]

Egyptians got their own fiscal cliff to worry about...

Egyptians fret over economy after rancorous vote on constitution
25 Dec.`12 - Egypt prepared to announce on Tuesday the result of a vote on a new constitution that Islamist President Mohamed Mursi hails as a step toward stability in a country beset by political and economic crisis.

But critics say that by ramming through the basic law, Mursi has angered his liberal, leftist and Christian opponents, and may have squandered any chance of building a broad consensus on tax rises needed to rein in a crushing budget deficit. Unofficial tallies from Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood showed the charter was approved by a 64 percent majority. The electoral commission will announce the official result at 1700 GMT, with the final numbers widely expected to confirm earlier estimates.

Mursi believes the constitution will end a protracted period of turmoil that has haunted the most populous Arab nation since the fall of military-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011. But ordinary people and some commentators worry that Mursi's approach in pushing through the contentious text will only galvanize his rivals to capitalize on any public backlash against austerity rather than help sell reforms to the nation.

Hossam El-Din Ali, a 35-year-old newspaper vendor in central Cairo, said he agreed the new constitution would help bring some political stability but like many others he feared the possible austerity measures lying ahead. "People don't want higher prices. People are upset about this," he said. "There is recession, things are not moving. But I am wishing for the best, God willing."

If the "yes" vote is confirmed, a parliamentary election will follow in about two months, setting the stage for Islamists to renew their struggle with more liberal-minded opponents. On the political front, tensions remain high. The opposition says the constitution, crafted mostly by Mursi's Islamist allies, fails to guarantee personal freedoms and the rights of women and minorities. The government denies this.

ECONOMIC WORRIES

 

[BecauseIKnow]

You and your fucking brietbart unsourced shit...enough with your false report garbage.

 

[waltky]

How will the new Islamist Constitution affect Egypt's Christians?...

Egyptian Christians Face the Future Under New Islamist Law
12/28/2012 - What way forward under the hastily passed, shari'ah-based constitution?

Egyptian Christians spent this year's Advent season awaiting more than the celebration of Jesus' birth. Christmas Day dawned with Copts still processing the rushed passage of a new Islamist-backed constitution and its implications. Days before voting began on the hastily completed charter—which, despite only 33 percent turnout and accusations of fraud, passedDecember 25 with 64 percent of the vote—more than 10,000 Christians gathered at an interdenominational prayer vigil in Cairo's famous "Cave Church." "Some of us see demonstrations and conspiracies. Some say this country is being destroyed or being stolen," said Andrawus Iskander, a Coptic Orthodox priest from the Nile Delta, to the gathered crowd. "But I say God is coming, and he will not be late. This year will be the best ever for the church. The heavens will open and we will be united. We will be freed from fear and learn to love."

But many Christians fear the worst. "There will be violent threats coming against Copts, because the whole political scene has become sectarian," said Hani Labib, a Coptic political analyst. "No matter the issue, it is the Copts who are put in the limelight for their opposition [to the Islamist agenda]. Since most are unable to emigrate, this pressure will result in them returning to their isolation within the church." Many Christians joined liberal activists and hardened revolutionaries to take to the streets prior to the referendum, demonstrating against the proposed constitution. With many others, Christians feared the limitation of rights and freedoms due to the wider scope of shari'ah law and the requirement to consult with unelected religious scholars on legislation.

President Mohamed Morsi's Islamist allies turned the Christian presence into a campaign slogan. They accused the opposition of treason and implied that the vast majority of protestors were Copts "I say to the church, yes, you share this country with us," said Safwat Hegazi, an Islamist preacher and presidential appointee to the National Council for Human Rights. "But there are red lines, and our red lines are the legitimacy of Dr. Morsi." He then employed a colloquial, but dangerous expression: "Whoever splashes it with water [discredits it], we will splash him with blood [spill his blood]." "Morsi has not kept his promises to be a president for all Egyptians when he had a chance to do so, and he is losing credibility," said Ramez Atallah, president of the Bible Society of Egypt. "When the leader is not working for consensus, it makes it very hard for anyone else to do so."

Yet Atallah still advises Christians to remain politically active while grounding their expectations in the necessary dual perspective of Christianity. "We must be good citizens," he said. "This panic is not justified in our faith, even if it may be justified in terms of politics. "I am impressed that Christians, like all Egyptians, are more politically aware now than ever before—this must continue," Atallah said. "But we must never feel God is against us because we prayed for something and did not get it. It is very dangerous to connect the two." Others place even more hope in political activism, despite the setback of failing to stop the new constitution from being approved. "We have to work very hard to prepare for the parliamentary elections, because this is where all legislation will be fleshed out," said Youssef Sidhom, editor-in-chief of Coptic newspaper Watani. Important religious rights and liberties promised in the constitution threaten to be restricted by other Islamist-friendly clauses, he said.

MORE

 

[BecauseIKnow]

It's always been Islamic based constitution, not in the way you people think of it though.

 

[biblical]

While we are outraged and condemn attempts in Egypt to keep Christians from voting, we must also remember that right here in the US or A, there are always attempts also to keep certain groups of people from voting, but that does not justify the events in Egypt.

 

[uscitizen]

Majority rules in a democracy.
Christians marched here to keep Muslims from worshipping.

 

[turzovka]

You and your fucking brietbart unsourced shit...enough with your false report garbage.

Translation: You couldn't care less about the truth.


ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) — A campaign of intimidation by Islamists left most Christians in this southern Egyptian province too afraid to participate in last week’s referendum on an Islamist-drafted constitution they deeply oppose, residents say. The disenfranchisement is hiking Christians’ worries over their future under empowered Muslim conservatives.

Around a week before the vote, some 50,000 Islamists marched through the provincial capital, Assiut, chanting that Egypt will be “Islamic, Islamic, despite the Christians.” At their head rode several bearded men on horseback with swords in scabbards on their hips, evoking images of early Muslims conquering Christian Egypt in the 7th Century.

Fear keeps Egypt’s Christians away from polls - Salon.com

Salon.com is the anti-thesis of Breitbart but that wouldn’t matter to you would it? Those people who laugh off a report because it came from a very conservative source or a very liberal source (depending on their personal preferences) are the ones who should be laughed at. I can read between the lines. They don’t like what they are hearing, they have no legitimate comeback, so they try to discredit the messenger and act like they have done something noteworthy. Embarrassing.



Incidentally, here is a video news report from Egypt – no Breitbart in site.

Video - Islamist intimidation as Egyptians vote - News - jn1.tv

 

[BecauseIKnow]

Majority rules in a democracy.
Christians marched here to keep Muslims from worshipping.

True.

 

[martybegan]

Majority rules in a democracy.
Christians marched here to keep Muslims from worshipping.

In one location, a few yards away from one of the greatest attacks made in "the name of Islam"

It was also mostly private groups, using their right to protest peacefully, not threatening physical violence, nor rewriting the consitution to make thier lives harder.

Both cases are fruit, but its like comparing apples to giant mutated zombie oranges.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

Majority rules in a democracy.
Christians marched here to keep Muslims from worshipping.

In one location, a few yards away from one of the greatest attacks made in "the name of Islam"

It was also mostly private groups, using their right to protest peacefully, not threatening physical violence, nor rewriting the consitution to make thier lives harder.

Both cases are fruit, but its like comparing apples to giant mutated zombie oranges.

What was in the name of Islam?

 

[martybegan]

Majority rules in a democracy.
Christians marched here to keep Muslims from worshipping.

In one location, a few yards away from one of the greatest attacks made in "the name of Islam"

It was also mostly private groups, using their right to protest peacefully, not threatening physical violence, nor rewriting the consitution to make thier lives harder.

Both cases are fruit, but its like comparing apples to giant mutated zombie oranges.

What was in the name of Islam?

You know the answer to that, so stop playing dumb, or being dumb, whichever is more appropriate.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

In one location, a few yards away from one of the greatest attacks made in "the name of Islam"

It was also mostly private groups, using their right to protest peacefully, not threatening physical violence, nor rewriting the consitution to make thier lives harder.

Both cases are fruit, but its like comparing apples to giant mutated zombie oranges.

What was in the name of Islam?

You know the answer to that, so stop playing dumb, or being dumb, whichever is more appropriate.

I'm not playing dumb, are you referring to 9/11? Since when was that in the name of Islam?

 

[martybegan]

What was in the name of Islam?

You know the answer to that, so stop playing dumb, or being dumb, whichever is more appropriate.

I'm not playing dumb, are you referring to 9/11? Since when was that in the name of Islam? Who assigned that?

The guys who planned it and carried it out? Even if others think it was not "islamic" to carry out the attacks Bin laden and those who actually carried it out did it in "the name of allah"

The transcript of the Flight 93 pretty much shows you the religous fervor of the guys who planted the plane into the ground.

cvr 000717

The letter from Bin laden to America also pretty much spells it out.

Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' | World news | Observer.co.uk

 

[BecauseIKnow]

Marty,

Our CIA calls actions like this "blowback", meaning they are counter-attacks for our own interference in other nations' business.

That is not to say we "deserve" it, but if you tell other people how to live, they tend to push back, is all I'm saying.

Terrorism is merely a way that a weak force pushes back against a strong force that is bullying it (real or perceived bullying).

Religion, blah blah is all a smokescreen. 9-11 was a political act.

Think about it:

They didn't hit Disneyland, or the Statue of Liberty.

They hit:

1. Twin Towers --a symbol of our financial strength

2. Pentagon -- symbol of our military power

3. White House? symbol of our government

This is not the scenario created by wild crazy religious fanatics. This was meant to make a point.

Which we missed by the way.

OH well.