THE ISLAMIZATION OF EGYPT Adel Guindy* This article discusses the recent strengthening of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist movements in Egypt. It then looks at the resulting regression in modernization and Westernization efforts in the country. The article also focuses on the adverse effects these changes have had on Egyptian Copts. The success of the Muslim governance soon led to a clash of Brotherhood to gain a fifth of the interests. As a result, the Brotherhood parliamentary seats in the latest was banned in 1954, and its aspirations elections in Egypt (November 2005) and designs had to be shelved. seemed to have taken many people by However, these aspirations never died. surprise. The recent acceleration in the Following the Nasser years, with number of attacks on Copts in the the wins, losses, and experimentations country may also take some by with Arabism and socialism, those surprise. These two phenomena are in shelved aspirations were revived with fact linked and should be seen as a the arrival of Anwar Sadat. He began natural consequence of relentless his rule by reopening the doors to the efforts over the past few decades to Brotherhood and other off-shoots of Islamize the country. Islamic groups. He then initiated what Six decades ago, Egypt’s ruling one could, in hindsight, term “the system, under a corrupt monarchy and Great Islamic Transformation” of on the verge of collapse, nearly fell Egypt. The first step was to stipulate in into the laps of the Muslim the Second Article of his new Brotherhood. Established only two Constitution, promulgated in 1971 decades earlier (in 1928), the (long before Khomeini embarked on Brotherhood appeared to have garnered his Islamic revolutionary campaign), such strength that to them it seemed that the Principles of Islamic Shari’a natural they would take over the rule in were “a main source” of legislation. In the country and establish an Islamic May 1981, the “a” was replaced with state from the ruins of the “the,” making Shari’a the term of dysfunctional liberal system. reference for the entire constitution, Then came the army’s coup d’état meaning all other articles were to be (later called a “revolution”). Even interpreted in that light.1 though most of the “Free Officers” had That change provided the legal, previously been Brotherhood members political, and “psychological” basis for and, as new rulers, it was clear they the Islamic transformation to proceed had special connections with the in an inexorable fashion. Sadat’s Brotherhood, the realities of famous slogan, “I am a Muslim 92 Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 3 (September 2006) The Islamization of Egypt president of a Muslim state” was a At government administration clear indication of this transformation. offices, it is common for employees to spend most of the workday (already THE ISLAMIC among the shortest in the world) TRANSFORMATION performing ritual ablution and prayers. Office managers and senior directors often double as prayer leaders. It is The society began a gradual Islamic indeed rare to find an office that is not transformation. Consider the following adorned with religious artifacts, such examples of Egypt’s transformation. as framed Koran verses and photos of Not only the hijab, but also the Qa’aba along with photos of the 2 niqab became widespread and a part president—a perfect example of the of a national dresscode of sorts for the amalgamation of religious and state Egyptian women. Beyond the push to symbols. exhibit ever more piety, this trend was The national carrier, EgyptAir, defended, in Orwellian fashion, in the which for years has banned serving name of “personal freedom." If Huda alcohol3 on all flights also recites at Sha’arawi and Qasim Amin—the every take-off and landing the visionary champions of the women’s “Invocation of Travel,” originally liberation movement of the early intended for desert trips on camelback. twentieth century—were still alive, While alcohol is still not totally banned they would find the present scenes on in the country, local authorities in the the streets of Cairo utterly devastating. governorates have over the past several Mosques broadcast prayers years gradually restricted its sale to (including at early dawn) over public “tourist” areas. This is done to feign speakers, and religious recordings have public piety or simply to avoid possible replaced popular music in most attacks by Islamists on bars and other transport vehicles (taxis, buses, and places where alcohol is sold. During minibuses) as well as in shops. It is not the fasting month of Ramadan, alcohol unusual to see Metro (subway) cars may be served in tourist locations turned into preaching (proselytizing) outside the fasting hours (i.e. between forums by feverish zealots. Moreover, sunset and dawn), and only to owners of apartment buildings who foreigners. Ironically, an Egyptian non- have transformed even part of their Muslim would not be served a beer, building’s basement into a prayer hall whereas a foreigner (even if Muslim) (equipped with microphones) receive would be. special local property tax exemptions. Even the basic and familiar daily The professional syndicates, greetings of “good organizations, and the Lawyers’ Bar— morning/evening/day,” using mostly dominated by Islamists—have expressions for which Egyptians were been turned into forums for spreading long renowned, were replaced with the an Islamic—and violently anti- standard Islamic “assalamu alaykum.”4 Western—agenda rather than attending The “hello” naturally said in answering to members’ needs and providing them the phone, has equally been replaced services. by the same Islamic expression. Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 3 (September 2006) 93 Adel Guindy Likewise, the century-old school of special commission headed by the fine arts is now filled with hijab- speaker of the Shura Council (The wearing girls and bearded men, all “Consultative Council,” or the upper claiming that sculpturing and drawing parliamentary chamber, which has human models is “illicit.”5 Already limited legislative powers). According from the late 1970s, depicting nude to the Parties Law, a new party must models has been banned, and all meet certain criteria in order to become artwork statues showing full or partial eligible. A main criterion is that the nudity once exhibited in the school “party’s principles, objectives, were moved to the school’s storage programs, politics, and approaches in rooms. It is worth noting that the drive performing its activities do not towards such extremist attitudes is contradict the principles of Shari’a; propagated by preachers in the prayer these being the main source of halls of the school itself. legislation in the country.”8 When the Indeed, the Grand Mufti of Egypt new party “Egypt the Motherland” recently declared statues “illicit.”6 In applied in February 2004, the Parties response to criticism by some writers Commission (currently headed by the worried that such fatwas would further secretary general of the ruling National blemish the image of Islam in the Democratic Party) quickly denied its world, the Mufti said that he was only approval, essentially because its reiterating this old fatwa based on a program spoke of the necessity to hadith (a saying by the Prophet)7 and adopt some kind of secularism in the that he was not in a position to deny or country. The party duly challenged the negate “what is established in the decision in the courts in July of the matters of religion” no matter what. same year. After lengthy procedures, Will the treasures of the pharaohs one the Supreme Administrative Court day meet the same destiny as that of decided to uphold the Commission’s the Buddha statutes demolished by the decision, asserting that the party’s Taliban? One woman already smashed program “does not define the statues in the Hassan Heshmat secularism (it calls for), or how to Museum in Cairo following the famous separate between the religious and fatwa. political authorities...” Propagators of extremist thought Egyptian nationalism and patriotism are given a free hand to spread their have receded and have been replaced ideas by all means (as long as they are by a new sense of Pan-Islamism in not overly critical of the regime). On which a fellow Muslim from Pakistan the other hand, efforts by civil society or Malaysia is considered to be much are systematically obstructed, and the closer than a Coptic co-citizen. For defenders of liberal and progressive instance, in a recent interview with the ideas have—until very recently—been Supreme Guide of the Muslim extremely marginalized. The bases of Brotherhood in a government-owned critical thinking and respect for the paper, he stated with no ambiguity: “other” are not even taught in school. “Tuz fi (To hell with) Egypt,” “Our nationality is Islam,” and “The Rule of Establishing political parties in the Ottoman Empire over Egypt was Egypt is subject to the approval of a not an occupation, because it was a 94 Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 3 (September 2006) The Islamization of Egypt Muslim Caliphate.”9 To show his zeal complete without attempting to for Pan-Islamism, he said, “We don’t examine the state of the religious mind to have a Malaysian president for establishment in the country. Egypt (as long as he is Muslim).” In the early years of the 20th Surprisingly, few voices arose to reject Century, Egypt had five religious such abhorrent discourse. (Koranic) schools with about 3,000 It would require volumes to students, some of whom would document the drastic role played over ultimately join al-Azhar the past few decades by the Mosque/University to become imams. government-owned media, which are Today, the number of institutes has typically mouth-pieces reflecting the mushroomed to seven thousand, with government’s directives in the process no less than 1.5 million students.11 of Islamic Transformation.