Because of recent sectarian violence, Ms. Kamel, who is Muslim, wears a crescent and cross necklace. A silver pin on her dress is inscribed with the words “I am Egyptian” in Arabic calligraphy. A button declares, “Against Corruption.” Among an assortment of beads and bracelets on her wrist is a band emblazoned with the legend, “Make poverty history.” Her campaign for the presidency focuses on fighting the dual evils of poverty and corruption.

“There is no democracy with poverty,” the self-described social democrat said.

A supporter of youth, Ms. Kamel advocates reducing the minimum age for holding elected office in the country’s legislature from 30 to 22. It was mainly the youth who made the ultimate sacrifices during the revolution, she said: “We did not say no, stay on the side because you are less that 30.”

Ms. Kamel first announced her intention to run for the presidency in April on Twitter, using social media as her main publicity and advocacy tool. She expressed reservations on whether presidential elections would take place by the end of the year, as promised by the ruling military council.

On May 8, Ms. Kamel stood in front of the Church of the Virgin Mary, set ablaze a day earlier, in the impoverished working-class district of Imbaba as young and old chanted, “Down With Mubarak!” But it was not behind-the-scenes machinations of former regime elements that were the only source of rage over sectarian violence that has engulfed this community.

The day before witnessed violent confrontations in Imbaba, where it was rumored that a Coptic woman was being held in a church because she wed a Muslim man and converted to his faith. The clashes left a dozen people dead and two churches up in flames.

Amid the tensions, Ms. Kamel talked with residents, both Christians and Muslims, listening to their accounts and testimonials. Explanations abound on the reasons for the surge in the violence: sectarian conflicts are being engineered by counterrevolutionary forces to halt the gains of the revolution in their tracks; the military rulers are slow to react because they want to remain in charge of the country; the wider margin for expression has laid bare animosities cultivated by extremists, who thrive on the hopelessness and anger that poverty breeds.

Ms. Kamel walked away from the encounter faulting the military rulers who are managing Egypt’s transition government. “I entered Imbaba saying the police and the army were slow to react,” she said. “I left Imbaba saying the police and army were complicit.”