A report issued by an Alexandria human rights group, Baladi (my country), slammed the city's Salafists for what it described as “blatant violations” of democratic practice in their campaigning for a “yes” vote in yesterday's referendum on Constitutional amendments.

According to the report, the Salfists accused other political parties of being anti-religious and infidel, and claimed that all those who call for a “no” vote were enemies of Islamic Shari'a and supporters “of those who do not follow the path of God and his Prophet.”

The human rights group warned that the Salafists religious incitement could lead the country into “a dark tunnel of ignorance and backwardness”, and called upon all political actors to refrain from imposing religion on politics, thus showing respect for both religion and the democratic principles upon which the Egyptian revolution stands.