A liberal Egyptian gets a magic lamp and rubs it. When a genie appears, the man asks him to make all the Islamists vanish. The genie frowns and says: "Why? What did we do to you?" This is one of a dozen jokes Egyptians have been exchanging over the past days, as estimates show that the Islamists are heading for winning around 60 percent of the seats of the new parliament.
The Islamists' surge at the ballot box has triggered nation-wide debate about potential extremism in post-revolutionary Egypt. Famed for a legendary sense of humour, Egyptians spice up their discussion with jokes, the overtones of which are unmistakable. In the run-up of the elections, the Salafists - who follow a strict interpretation of Islam that resembles the Saudi Arabian school of thought - stirred controversy by covering statues and replacing the pictures of their female candidates on campaigning posters with either a flower or the candidate's husband name and picture.
A Salafist leader, Abdel Moneim al-Shahat, provoked an outcry this week when he said that novels of Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mafouz promoted "prostitution and atheism" and that democracy was "blasphemy." Two Islamist groups have already dominated the first round of voting for the lower house of parliament. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party is in the lead, followed by the ultra-conservative Salafist Al-Nour, while the liberal alliance, The Egyptian Bloc, has trailed third.
Banned and oppressed under Mubarak, the Islamists are competing in the elections for the first time after having their political parties officially recognised following the Egyptian revolution. Making fun of authorities has been an integral part of Egyptian daily life for ages. Jokes are often exchanged on public transport, in cafes, by email and short text messages.
"The joke is a powerful weapon," celebrated Egyptian cartoonist Mustafa Hussein told dpa. "Jokes are usually used by one side to try to undermine authority or power of another. Even in wars, jokes and caricatures are employed to demoralise the enemy," he argued.
"In Egypt's case, this is normal due to the diversity of the post-revolutionary society. Even within the Islamists, there are moderates and radicals," Hussein said. "Many people in Egypt are worried about religious dictatorship. While the liberals hold seminars to voice their fears, ordinary people fight back the rise in Islamism with jokes."
Some doctored photos were posted on online forums. One picture shows signs on bathrooms changed into a woman wearing a full-face veil, and a man with a long beard. "Egyptians are known for turning almost everything into witty jokes," Duha Sami, a 40-year-old who works for a marketing company, said. "I remember jokes that are decades old now, and they really make historical sense. They reflect the political and economic state of the country at that time."
During the 18-day revolt that ousted Mubarak earlier this year, the iconic Tahrir Square was filled with protesters holding satirical placards. One read: "Leave. My hand is hurting me!" Another showed a computer message reading: "Cannot install freedom. Please remove Mubarak and try again!"