Most of the Islamists divided into groups and organizations announced they would back either leading Muslim Brotherhood member Muhammad Mursī or former Brotherhood member ‘Abd al-Mun’im Abū al-Futūh.
Copts, on the other hand, insist that they are not one voting bloc and that they are, like any segment of the Egyptian society, going to vote for more than one candidate but most probably they will not elect any of the candidates with Islamist ideologies.
Although some Coptic voices have spoken a month ago so positively about Abū al-Futūh on the grounds that he was offering himself as a candidate who will unify all groups within the society, the support he gained from Salafists and leaks about deals obliging him to implement the Islamic sharī’ah brought several Copts to reverse their support for him.
Political activist George Ishaq, a co-founder of the al-Dustūr Party, told al-Hayāt he was definite Copts’ votes will be confined to secular candidates, Hamdīn Sabbāhī or ‘Amr Mūsá.
“Copts, as a matter of fact, are alarmed by ascending Islamists, who do not give assurances and even increase Copts’ concerns each time they speak,” said Ishaq.
Researcher Hānī Labīb said Copts’ eyes are not set on a certain candidate but they will certainly not vote for any of the political Islam candidates, adding Salafists’ support for Abū al-Futūh made matters more complicated because the impressions Copts have about Salafists are so bad. [Ahmad Rahīm, al-Hayāt, May 13, p. 5] Read original text in Arabic
