Hafsa Shoman, Youngest FJP Candidate, Vows to Defend Women Rights

Hafsa Atef Shoman is not a day over twenty-five. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English language and literature. The Freedom and Justice party (FJP) in Beheira governorate (north of Cairo) nominated her to be on their electoral lists for the People's Assembly. She became the youngest candidate for the party in the whole country, right up to the moment registration was closed for elections.

In an exclusive interview with Hafsa, she said to IkhwanWeb: "The FJP’s nomination of my modest person makes me really proud. To start with, I am proud that I meet the FJP’s criteria for selecting nominees, which include efficiency, openness to the world, social interaction, courage and political awareness".

Hafsa refutes and rejects claims that the role of women and girls is marginalized within the Muslim Brotherhood and the FJP.

"The best reply to these false charges is that the number of female nominees on FJP candidate lists is much higher than in liberal and leftist party lists. Yet the Muslim Brotherhood are traditionally accused of this. The same was true in the 2010 elections, as well," she said.

Then she added: "The role of women will grow with time within the Brotherhood and the FJP. Women are already well-represented in Muslim Brotherhood administration offices and are constantly involved in public work. They are nominated as candidates in elections, too".

Hafsa said: "I was involved in public work since I was a student at the University of Ain Shams. I was responsible for the management of the university campus in the Muslim Brotherhood female student organization. As female students, we were active in public work".

With respect to her ambition in the next elections, Hafsa said: "I have confidence that the Egyptian people, after January 25, enjoys sharper awareness, and will be able to side with the FJP lists, after the end of the scarecrow image with which the ousted regime painted the Muslim Brotherhood at home and abroad".
Hafsa expressed her ambition to positively represent women in parliament and to adopt FJP methodology in the defence of women's rights – women who were often oppressed during the reign of previous ruling regimes in Egypt, especially the Mubarak regime.

Hafsa is optimistic for women's role in the next phase in Egypt. She explains: "Women, here, are not as the West believes. They will have a vital role that is as different as the Arab spring itself.. which was an expression of peaceful revolution amongst the Arab peoples, and then copied in the West where people angry with the regimes and systems went out in demonstrations occupying streets and cities”.

Comment: Towards NEW Egypt a just, transparency and free country.