Three reports out of Egypt underscore rising religious tensions:
1. A veiled actress sparked a firestorm after opening a café that’s barred to unveiled and Christian females, according to al-Arabiya. Egyptian websites and blogs have launched a campaign against the actress, Hanan Turk, accusing her of fomenting hatred.
2. Middle East Online reports that Egyptian Sheikh Yussef al-Badri called for a boycott of phone company Mobinil after Coptic owner Naguib Sawiris criticized the influence of Islam in Egypt and condemned the Muslim Brotherhood slogan “Islam in the Solution.”
3. The Muslim Brotherhood website reports that Cairo is arresting Islamists in the town of Fayyum, a traditional hotbed for radical Islam.
These stories are good portals into the way in which Islamism threatens Egyptian society and politics.
