They are therefore acting, while the government retains
relatively strong public support, to try to eliminate any points within the party leadership or structures — no matter how seemingly insignificant at this moment in time — around which opposition could coalesce into an alternative political perspective within the party.
substantial, in part because of the political ties of many of its preachers, beginning with their
support of a number of conservative causes and candidates in l980, but also because they galvanized
strong support from a
relatively small group of people who for the first time found a national
public articulation of their views.