EL-SAF, egypt — Police cars crammed the courtyard of a youth center in this rural town outside Cairo, where an ultraconservative Islamist party was holding a conference on the draft national constitution.
The new charter, written mainly by liberals and backed by the military, would ban political parties based on religion, give women equal rights and protect the status of minority Christians.
But the police were not out to harass the Al-Nour Salafi party, as they have the Muslim Brotherhood, which is organizing a boycott of the referendum this week on the new constitution.
Bearded men in long, traditional robes shook hands warmly with police officers who also filled the hall to secure a lecture titled “Know Your Constitution.” What these Islamists know about their constitution is that they will support it — even if some might privately dislike it.
The conference, held to rally support for the charter, highlights a striking alliance that has emerged since the military toppled Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and his democratically elected government last summer. Both the military-backed authorities and the Al-Nour party appear to be benefiting from it, despite the awkwardness.
The authorities get a seal of approval from a popular Islamist party for a constitution drafted by a liberal-dominated committee they appointed. The charter, despite its progressive ambitions, accords the military special status by allowing it to select its own candidate for the job of defense minister and empowering it to bring civilians before military tribunals.
And Al-Nour secures a safe spot for itself amid a relentless campaign against Islamist groups and a crackdown that has left thousands of Morsi’s supporters behind bars or killed in clashes.
“We are currently trying to minimize the effect of practices that led to a general alienation from the Islamic project,” said Yasser Burhami, an influential Salafi cleric, explaining to viewers on the group’s online YouTube channel why it is acceptable to vote for a constitution. “We must acknowledge the new reality and put goals according to the new phase.”
The Brotherhood and other Islamist groups have increasingly targeted Al-Nour during their protests, with some of its offices outside of Cairo attacked and its politicians heckled.
