Cario, Egypt - The majority of Egyptians (62 percent) believe new laws in the country should strictly follow the teachings of the Quran, according to a study by the Pew Research Center on Religion & Public Life.
About 27 percent of Egyptians believe laws should adhere to the values and principles of Islam, but they should not strictly follow the Quran, while just 5 percent believe that new laws should not be influenced by religious teachings.
In terms of religiosity, 31 percent of Egyptian Muslims say they sympathize with Islamic fundamentalists, 30 percent sympathize with those who disagree with the fundamentalists and 26 percent have mixed views on the matter.
According to the Pew report, “Those who disagree with fundamentalists are almost evenly divided on whether the treaty with Israel should be annulled, while others favor ending the pact by a goodly margin.”
When considering income disparities, low-income Egyptian Muslims agree with Islamic fundamentalists the least (20 percent) and disagree with fundamentalists the most (35 percent). Among middle-income Muslims, 35 percent agree with fundamentalists and 29 percent disagree. Among high-income Muslims, 35 percent agree with fundamentalists and 25 percent disagree.
Among Egyptians, 41 percent think it is very likely the next elections in Egypt will be free and fair, while 43 percent say it is only somewhat likely, 16 percent say it is not too likely and 8 percent say it is not likely at all.