A LIBYAN official proudly shows pictures of his one-year-old triplet daughters on his mobile phone: polka-dotted veils hide the hair of all three, even though Muslim tradition suggests that girls need not cover up until puberty. The official is a leading figure in the Justice and Construction party, affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, the conservative political-cum-religious movement that is burgeoning right across the Middle East. In Libya after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi it has so far done less well, getting only a fifth of the seats contested under party colours in a general election last July, compared with about half in Egypt and Tunisia. But that may change. The Justice and Construction party, founded only in March, is planning assiduously how to end up on top.

For one thing, it is rapidly building a sophisticated organisation, even as most of its competitors dither or fight among themselves. Starting from a much weaker base than in Egypt and Tunisia, where the Brothers have been strong for decades, the Libyan party has opened offices across the country, including a seven-floor tower in Benghazi, the second city. It has signed up hundreds of members in places where other parties have handfuls, including 1,500 in Benghazi’s central district alone.

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