Islamists Thrilled as Egypt Elects Muslim Brotherhood President

Religion Today | Updated: Jun 25, 2012

Islamists Thrilled as Egypt Elects Muslim Brotherhood President

Egypt's election commission announced June 24 that the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, Mohammed Morsi, won the country's first presidential election with 51.7 percent of the vote, beating former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, ABC News reports. Tens of thousands had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to hear the results, which were followed by fireworks, jubilation and shouts of "Allahu akbar!" ["Allah is greatest"] that continued for hours. Brotherhood officials told supporters they would press on with protests to demand that the ruling military council cancel this month's dissolution of the Islamist-led parliament and a decree that gave the generals power to restrict the president. Because the Brotherhood has made well-known its goal to develop an Islamic state dictated by sharia (Islamic law), the result has immediately sparked concerns for Christians and religious minorities. Morsi is reported to have previously declared that he would make all Christians in the country "convert to Islam, pay the jizya [Islamic tax required of non-Muslims] or emigrate."



Islamists Thrilled as Egypt Elects Muslim Brotherhood President