CAIRO - A poll conducted by a US-based center has shown that a majority of Egyptians believe laws in their country should follow the teachings of Islam's holy book, the Quran.

The survey reflects a shift toward religious conservatism. It also shows Egyptians are open to the inclusion of religious parties in a future government, although only 31 percent of them sympathize with Muslim fundamentalists.

The poll's results, released Monday, come ahead of September balloting _ the first parliamentary elections since President Hosni Mubarak's ouster in February. Islamic parties are expected to make a significant showing.

The poll, based on interviews with 1,000 Egyptians, was conducted by the Pew Research Center between March 24 and April 7. Its margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent.