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Muslim Brotherhood rises in Egypt

A surprise showing in the first round of Egypt`s parliamentary elections has given the Muslim Brotherhood its strongest political foothold heading into the recent vote, hinting at what democracy might look like in the Arab world`s largest country. Secularists and Christians were unsettled by the Brotherhood`s initial showing, with the country`s oldest Islamic fundamentalist group taking 34 seats, doubling its presence in parliament.

The victories have established the Brotherhood as the leader of the opposition and have proved what the government feared: that the banned group is popular among Egyptians despite, or because of, frequent crackdowns and the government`s media campaign against it. The unanswered question remains: Does Brotherhood success stem from its platform ? summed up in its slogan, "Islam is the solution" ? or to widespread discontent with President Hosni Mubarak?

The group, founded in 1928, calls for implementing Islamic law but has long been vague about what that means. Its members are conservative ? advocating the veil for women and campaigning against perceived immorality in the media, for example ? but the group insists it represents a more moderate face of Islam than the puritanical Wahhabi version that dominates Saudi Arabia. In the past year, Brotherhood members have presented themselves as advocates of democratic reform and have tried to reach out to Christians.