As feared, by those who could read the writing on the prayer rugs, the Islamification of Egypt is now well underway. In the first round of last week’s parliamentary elections, the “Freedom and Justice Party” (could they have come up with a more cruelly ironic moniker?), affiliated with the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, won 40 percent of the vote overall.
 
And, as Compass Direct reports,

The Al Nour Party, made up of members of the extremist Salafi group, garnered 20 percent of the vote. By comparison, the relatively liberal Egypt Social Democratic Party received 15 percent of the total vote.

 
Very bad news for non-Muslim types who were hoping for freedom of religion…

The election results confirmed the fears of Egyptian Christians (Copts), many of whom believe that Islamists will take control of the country in the wake of the revolution that deposed former President Hosni Mubarak. Egyptians now wait for the run-offs and final two rounds of this election, another election to seat the second half of Egypt’s bicameral chamber, and then finally the election for the next president. Further wins by Islamists, Christians said, will guarantee increased persecution against them or at a minimum, entrench their second-hand status in the country.

Murbarak was far from benevolent – but at least he kept the Brotherhood in line – and he protected the Copts:

He not only allowed them previously denied religious freedoms – everything from the right to repair their churches to live broadcasts of Easter services – but he also punished Islamists who persecuted them.

Where will they turn for protection now? (Don’t anticipate any assistance from the Obama administation!)
 
Barry Rubin, at PJ Media, made several astute observations about what the Egyptian elections really represent in his post on Monday: Egypt: We’ve Heard What the Majority Thinks ~
 

• Basically, nationalism has collapsed completely. Liberalism is weak. Moderate Muslims are few. Radical Islamism is the only game in town. Remember that: no alternative exists to an extremist, repressive, anti-Western, anti-Jewish, anti-Christian ideology.
• Egypt is not a parliamentary system, but a presidential one. There will be no coalition to get a majority in parliament and choose a prime minister. Therefore, the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Nour (Salafist -militant group of extremist Sunnis) do not need to become direct partners, but only to vote together on specific measures and on electing those who will draw up a constitution.
• We are back to the wild 1952-1970 era of regional subversion, anti-Westernism, instability, and Arab-Israeli conflict, except for the substitution of Islamism for Gamal Abd al-Nasser’s Arab nationalism.

And my personal favorite ~

• Western mainstream media is totally out of touch with reality. Many Western journalists and prestigious newspapers insist that the Egyptian people don’t want an Islamist state. Of course they do! We are seeing the democratic election of a dictatorship.

 
Rubin offers this advice to all Egyptian non-Muslims:

If you are a secularist, a “modern woman,” or a Christian, it’s probably time to get in line at some foreign embassy for a visa. Today, people may think that is an alarmist statement. In a year everyone will know it to be true. I already know people who have left the country.

…An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
 
~ Matthew 2:13 ~

 
After Jesus’ birth, two millennia ago, Joseph fled with his young family from Bethlehem to Egypt to escape King Herod’s wrath. Today, that country is no longer a safe haven for God’s people; Christian or Jew.
 
 
May His Holy Spirit be with them, to strengthen and preserve their faith.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related:
Obama pressure leads to predictable fiasco ~ Frank Gaffney, Jr. (Center for Security Policy) on the administration’s role in this disastrous development.
Egypt Copts react to Islamist electoral win ~ Persecution.Org relates that Copts are divided on whether to emigrate, or remain in Egypt.
Exodus from the Arab Spring ~ Lawrence Solomon at Canada’s Globe and Mail with background on the Copt’s plight.