The total number of eligible voters in the first round hit 13.614.625 million, 62% against 38% who did not cast their votes, considered the highest turnout ever in Egypt. (al-Ahrām, December 4, 2011)
The first round has seen a massive turnout by Egyptian Christian citizens, coinciding with the emergence of political Islam groups that expressed strict positions against Copts in many of their TV appearances.
These strict statements against the Copts reflected positively on them as they have participated intensively as a way to boost civil state by voting for candidates who do not in anyway belong to any of the political Islam parties.
The General Coptic Organization in Egypt adopted this course of action by publishing an ad in Watanī newspaper of November 20, 2011 with all its proposed nominations for the first round (ref. 1), which further developed to become the nominations accredited by all Egyptian Christian voters.
This was viewed by some political Islam groups as interference by the Egyptian church in the election process although there was no single published announcement by the church was spotted.
There was an anonymous statement being handed out under the title "your vote in the runoff…for the candidates of the church and the fulūl [remnants of the dissolved National Democratic Party] or the followers of the rasūl [the Prophet Muhammad]?" in an attempt to bring the Egyptian church and leaders of the former regime to be in one category and the followers of the Prophet Muhammad who are devout Muslims in another. (Ref. 2).
This was confirmed by the Salafī newspaper al-Rahmah of December 2, 2011, which described the church's position on elections as "playing with fire" and the Salafī newspaper al-Fatah of December 2, 2011, which said that the lists by the church have actually embarrassed the Christian candidates and deprived them from any sympathy by the voters.
In a bid to settle this controversy, Bishop Mūsá of Youth issued a statement titled Church and Elections, in which he indicated that the church is not involved in politics nor does it set certain names or lists for the voting process, adding voters are the only decision-makers (ref. 3).
Obviously, the Egyptian Christian citizens' sympathy with the civil state proponents was exploited and depicted as if it were a war on Islam or one that was between "beards and crosses" as an article by Rose al-Yūsuf magazine of December 3:9 read.
It has been hilarious, however, when the advocates of a civil state in the Egyptian society have expressed their apprehensions about the ascendance of the political Islam groups by making wisecracks that involve much significance about the future of Egypt.
Examples of those practical jokes were:
1- If the Muslim Brotherhood group came to power, the following changes are most likely:
- Mo'men will be the only fast-food delivery in Egypt.
- The ring road will be straight road.
- Drinkie's will serve only the Islamic beverage sobya.
- Al-Tawhī Wal-Nūr will open a store in City Stars.
- The i-Phone apple will be replaced by a date.
- Chicken breasts and thighs will be served covered at KFC.
- Chipsy will produce a new item with dates flavor.
- The word inshallah (God willing) will be added next to Enter on the keyboard.
2 – If the Muslim Brotherhood are in power, cell phones will change SMSs to:
- Buzz me, may God reward you!
- Charge my cell phone, for the sake of God!
- The number you are dialing is not active, and only God knows!
3 – If the Copts are in power, the SMSs will be:
- Buzz me, thanks be to God!
- Charge my cell phone, for God is love!
- The phone you are trying to reach is switched off, believe me!
4 – If the thugs took over, the SMSs will be like:
- Buzz me, you freak!
- Charge my cell phone, dude!
5 – The number 6 will be removed from any data because it awakens men's libido.
6 – Names of Egyptian movies, TV series and songs will be changed like:
- Ismā'īl Yāsīn in the Army to Ismā'īl Yāsīn in the Irshād (Guidance) Office.
- The President's Cook to The Murshid's Cook.
- The Danish Experiment to The Brotherhood Experiment.
- Shorts, T-shirt and a Cap to Shorts, T-shirt and a Hijāb.
- A Villager at the American University to a Salafī at the American University.
- Ra'fat al-Hajān to Ra'fat al-Ikhwan (Brotherhood).
- The Night Fātimah was Arrested to The Night Sister Fātimah was Arrested.
- Didn't You Drink from the Nile? To Didn't You Drink from Zamzam?
- I Am the One who Loves You the Most to I Am the One who Prays the Most.
- I've Always been Longing to I've Always been a Brother.
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
العربية