A law requiring minimum gender quotas in parliamentary elections has put the Islamist Al-Nour party in a pickle while at the same time giving a new woman candidate an opportunity to run on its list.

According to the law issued by former interim President Adly Mansour in 2014, election lists should at least have 24 Christians or 4.2% of the seats in addition to 54 women or over 12% of the seats in the House of Representatives.

A law requiring minimum gender quotas in parliamentary elections has put the Islamist Al-Nour party in a pickle while at the same time giving a new woman candidate an opportunity to run on its list.

According to the law issued by former interim President Adly Mansour in 2014, election lists should at least have 24 Christians or 4.2% of the seats in addition to 54 women or over 12% of the seats in the House of Representatives.

Al-Nour had previously refused, according to statements by a number of its leaders, the principle of a quota system, be it in regard to women – the party’s posters in past parliamentary election campaigns did not show the face of any female candidate – or to Christians whom the party and its founding Salafi Call Society (SCS) oppose based on Sharia, according to SCS head in Alexandria Sheikh Yasser Borhamy.

Al-Nour has, as a result, come under attack and a lawsuit was filed demanding its dissolution as a religious party that violated the Egyptian Constitution.  Now, the Al-Nour party has now resorted to a different approach.

“This issue is controversial from a Sharia perspective,” said Borhamy. “Although we have a different opinion, the party has abided by the law which, based on consultation with Al-Azhar, provides for the inclusion of Copts in electoral lists. It should be noted that the SCS fatwas are not binding to the party.”

Since Al-Nour has to include women and Coptic Christians on its electoral lists, al-Nour leaders have resorted to finding candidates who can cover both of these criteria, to leave the largest possible number of seats for their preferred candidates, namely other Islamists.

Fitting this role is Suzan Samir Amin, a former Wafd Party Coptic member who has joined al-Nour Party’s list in southern Cairo.

“Being a candidate on the al-Nour Party’s list aims at extending a hand of peace and goodness to those with different opinions and at ensuring peaceful social coexistence for my children and all Egyptian children away from war and hatred,” says Amin.

“I am willing to do anything for achieving that goal, even if that means putting my hands in the hands of those who are ideologically different from me and who refuse to work under female leaders and consider women’s contribution to public work to be a taboo.”

Amin says it was her who applied to the al-Nour party for including her on its list, and that party leaderships were initially wary of her participation and vetted her to make sure she was not trying to settle scores with the church. When she finally met them, she was surprised to find out that the party leaderships had a great deal of tolerance and knowledge. “I discovered they did not chop off Christians’ ears, nor did they do the appalling things they had been wrongly accused of over the past period,” she said.

Amin says she is not afraid of the attacks against Coptic Christians. “All Muslims, not just the al-Nour Party, call us godless. It is their creed, which I must respect. What matters most is how they deal with me.”

When asked about the party’s refusal to put women’s pictures on its electoral posters and leaflets, she said: “It is a triviality to refuse to join a party because it does not put up my picture. A woman must be elected because of her thoughts and achievements, and not because of her face or body. True, the party refuses to build new churches, but it is the state itself, rather than the party, that has spread that belief.”

Amin refused to respond to many criticisms leveled against the al-Nour Party, claiming that the party had its official spokesman to respond to them. She also said she had instructions not to talk about anything related to the party, which she welcomed, praising the party for adopting the principle ‘Action speaks louder.’ She even described the al-Nour Party as the most important party in Egypt at present.

Personal interests

“It is not me who has caused conflict, but those who promulgated this law and forced parties to include women and Copts in their lists,” says Amin. “Let us put all our cards on the table; the al-Nour Party does not want to nominate Copts at all. Nominating me however has been dictated by interest. Besides, it is in my personal interest to get acquainted with the Salafist party’s ideology, and to work to change it for the better, if possible.”

When asked about the lawsuit filed to terminate the party, she said that had Al-Nour been against the Constitution and the law, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi would not have met with its leaders, and would have deprived it of any legal viability.

“I believe that the party has great chances of changing the thoughts of Muslim youth, but not Islamists, to keep them away from radical thinking. Also, we should not forget the party’s role in the June 30 Revolution, and its positive attitude towards the new administration in Egypt, under el-Sisi.”

“Extremism can be found in Muslims and Christians, alike, and extreme Christians can be more harmful than Muslims. It is our duty to confront such radical groups and minimize their potential threat,” she said.