Egyptians want advice, not rule, of clerics

WASHINGTON (RNS) Four months after the fall of Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak, a new Gallup survey says a majority of Egyptians want religious
leaders to advise the nation's officials but they do not want a
theocracy.

About seven in 10 Egyptians said clerics should advise national
leaders on legislation. In comparison, 14 percent said religious leaders
should have full authority in creating laws and 9 percent said they
should have no authority.

The findings, announced Tuesday (June 7), come from the United Arab
Emirates-based Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, which monitors attitudes of
Muslims worldwide.