From The Fig Tree Murder by Michael Pearce:

Egypt circa 1910:  "The Nationalist Party was predominantly secular.  They were a modernizing party and modernizing, for many of them meant sweeping away much of the influence of the Church.  Which the Church knew very well. The imam would have spotted this tactic a mile off.  Even so, thought Owen, it might be worth keeping an eye on how successful the tactic was.  Ordinary people might be less discriminating than the imam and if the Nationalists could add religious fervor to popular hostility then they could make a lot of trouble."