CAIRO: Fears of an Islamic take over of Egypt have reached Canada, with the country's Prime Minister telling Australian television channel CTV on Monday that the future Egypt could be “worse” off than it was under ousted President Hosni Mubarak. His comments come as Islamic parties in Egypt have won the lion's share in the first two rounds of parliamentary voting. The political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), and the ultra-conservative Salafist al-Nour Party have won 48 percent and 24 percent of seats thus far, respectively, increasing local and international worries that Egypt could turn toward the conservative. Harper warned in the interview that while democracy was proceeding in the North African country, he feared the result could see a system worse than under Mubarak, who was known for his cronyism, torture and repression. Harper continued to say that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing that they were both “concerned” about the future of Egypt's 32-year-old peace treaty with Israel, which, Harper said, had benefited both countries. Both the FJP and the al-Nour parties have publicly stated they have no intention of revoking the treaty with Israel. The PM did concede that Egypt's ongoing parliamentary polls – the nation's first since Mubarak's February ouster – represented a “positive step.” He also said that he was worried about certain minorities in Egypt – such as Coptic Christians – who he argued continued to face oppression and must be involved in politics in the country. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/7F9Ks Tags: Elections, featured, FJP, Islamists, Nour Party, Stephen Harper Section: Egypt, Latest News, Religion
