Younis Makhyoun slams Moussa’s statement concerning Nour Party

CAIRO – 8 April 2018: Al-Nour Party Chairperson Younis Makhyoun condemned Sunday former presidential candidate Moussa Moustafa Moussa’s statement that called on the Party to reconsider its policy, as Egyptian law prohibits the formation of religious parties.

Head of Al-Ghad party, Moussa, said in an interview with Egypt Today published on Sunday, that Al-Nour works within the framework of the religious Salafist Call Movement, adding that religious parties will not have the right to join the multi-party entity Al-Ghad party is seeking to create under the name of “Egypt Entity”.

Makhyoun described Moussa’s remarks as fallacious, adding that Al-Nour is a political party that is based on law and constitution, and is proud of following Islamic instructions as well.

The Nour Party is the political arm of the Salafist Call Movement and was established after the January 25 Revolution in 2011. In January 2018, Makhyoun announced that the party would support incumbent President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in the March presidential election against Moussa.



Since Al-Nour was established, Al-Nour members have stood by Egypt and Egyptians, Makhyoun said slaming Moussa’s remarks, adding that Al-Nour aims to achieve cohesion of the state, and avoid its collapse.

Makhyoun affirmed that the past court’s judgments were all in favor of Al-Nour party against calls for its dissolution. Since 2015, a case appealing the dissolution of Al-Nour party has been held in abeyance by the Supreme Administrative Court.

Showing tolerance toward Moussa’s statement, Abdel Moneim al-Shahat the spokesman of the Salafist Call Movement, told Egypt Today that in general, the criticized party does not have to respond to everything issued against it. He added that if Moussa’s statement annoyed Al-Nour party, the party would issue a statement.

According to article 74 of the 2014 constitution, the formation of a political party upon religious foundations is prohibited.

Wafd's Party assistant head of parliamentary issues, Yasser Koura, said in an interview with Ahl Misr, published on Saturday, that in case it is proven that Al-Nour party violates article 74, it would be immediately dissolved by the Political Parties Affairs Committee.

Nader Bakkar, co-founder of Al-Nour party, said in 2015 that there are two cases appealing the dissolution of the party. Bakkar denied the claim that Al-Nour party mixes religion with politics and said that the party participated in writing the article that bans religious parties. Bakkar affirmed that Al-Nour is a political party that supports the state.

In 2014, Vice President of the Salafist Call Movement, Yasser Borhami, denied that the party was formed upon religious foundations, as religious parties only accept people of a certain religion. However, many Christians co-founded Al-Nour party.



Justifying his remarks, Moussa said that all religious parties should be dissolved, as many of them have sturdy ties to terrorism, adding that the political life does not welcome religious parties.