Sheikh Hafez Salama, a famous Salafi figure in Suez, has said he is delighted by the large turnout in the parliamentary elections, and called on voters to give the Islamist trend a try, since Egypt has in vain tried other ideologies before, as he put it.

“The people of Suez queue for long hours outside the polling stations because they know that this time their voice would be heard and their aspirations will be achieved,” Salama said.

“We did not have elections in the past,” he added. “We had fabrications.”

“Islam is a religion of tolerance, and Muslims have been living side by side with non-Muslims,” he said. “The recent segregation is a result of the conspiracies being hatched from abroad.”

Egypt tried all directions, but we did not find the light as a result, so we are going back again to the direction of Islam. Salama urged the Islamists in the new parliament to unite and maintain the achievements of the January revolution. 

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm