An Egyptian woman, right, wears a "niqab" a veil which shows only the eyes, as she walks with another, wearing the "hijab", or headscarf, left, in downtown Cairo, Egypt,Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)Ultraconservative Islam On Rise In Mideast -- Breitbart/AP
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - The Muslim call to prayer fills the halls of a Cairo computer shopping center, followed immediately by the click of locking doors as the young, bearded tech salesmen close shop and line up in rows to pray.
Business grinding to a halt for daily prayers is not unusual in conservative Saudi Arabia, but until recently it was rare in the Egyptian capital, especially in affluent commercial districts like Mohandiseen, where the mall is located.
But nearly the entire three-story mall is made up of computer stores run by Salafis, an ultraconservative Islamic movement that has grown dramatically across the Middle East in recent years.
"We all pray together," said Yasser Mandi, a salesman at the Nour el-Hoda computer store. "When we know someone who is good and prays, we invite them to open a shop here in this mall." Even the name of Mandi's store is religious, meaning "Light of Guidance."
Critics worry that the rise of Salafists in Egypt, as well as in other Arab countries such as Jordan and Lebanon, will crowd out the more liberal and tolerant version of Islam long practiced there. They also warn that the doctrine is only a few shades away from that of violent groups like al-Qaida—that it effectively preaches "Yes to jihad, just not now."
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My Comment: Corruption, hunger, poverty, social breakdown .... people always go to their religious roots when confronted with tough times. Everyone in Egypt is suffering .... it is therefore no surprise that many are reverting to their grandparents view of Islam.
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