Will the Muslim Brotherhood soon control Egypt's parliament?

The Muslim Brotherhood's new plans to contest 50 percent of Egypt's parliamentary seats in upcoming elections are sparking concern that it will impose its Islamist ideas on the population.

By Kristen Chick, Correspondent / May 1, 2011

 

Cairo

The Muslim Brotherhood’s new political party will field candidates in about half the parliamentary seats in Egypt’s first post-revolution elections, leaders announced Saturday.

After years of being banned from politics and persecuted by former President Hosni Mubarak, the official launch of the group’s Freedom and Justice Party was a historic moment.

Leaders portrayed the party as inclusive, saying Christians and women can join. In accordance with Egyptian law, the party is officially civil, not religious, and is independent from the group. Leaders also repeated an earlier pledge not to run a candidate in presidential elections.


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