Path to the Polls
A woman walks past a torn Muslim Brotherhood election poster in Sharqiyah in northern Egypt. Though formally banned in 1954, the Brotherhood has been tolerated to varying degrees over the years. The government justifies the ban by arguing that religion has no role in Egyptian politics. But many Egyptians wonder if the Brotherhood is banned because the party of President Hosni Mubarak, the National Democratic Party, feels threatened by the Brotherhood's popularity.

• What's So Scary About Egypt's Islamists?
• Islam's Soft Revolution