The Salafi movement or Salafism is a revival movement within Sunni Islam, which was formed as a socio-religious resistance to European imperialism during the late 19th century and has remained influential in the Islamic World for over a century. The name "Salafiyya" refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors", the first three generations of Muslims, who are believed to exemplify the pure form of Islam. In practice, Salafis maintain that Muslims ought to rely on the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the Ijma (consensus) of the salaf, giving these writings precedence over later religious interpretations. The Salafi movement aimed to achieve a renewal of Muslim life and had a major influence on many Muslim thinkers and movements across the Islamic world.
Presidential elections were held in Egypt in 2012, with the first round on 23 and 24 May 2012 and the second on 16 and 17 June. They were the first democratic presidential elections in Egyptian history. The Muslim Brotherhood declared early 18 June 2012, that its candidate, Mohamed Morsi, won Egypt's presidential election, which would be the first victory of an Islamist as head of state in the Arab world. It was the second presidential election in Egypt's history with more than one candidate, following the 2005 election, and the first presidential election after the 2011 Egyptian revolution which ousted president Hosni Mubarak, during the Arab Spring. However, Morsi's presidency was brief and short-lived, and he later faced massive protests for and against his rule, only to be ousted in a military coup in July that year.
Parliamentary elections were held in Egypt from 28 November 2011 to 11 January 2012, following the revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, after which the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) dissolved Parliament. However the dissolution was ruled unconstitutional and Parliament was reinstated. Originally, the elections had been scheduled to be held in September 2011, but were postponed amid concerns that established parties would gain undue advantage.
Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is an Egyptian lawyer, television preacher, and former presidential candidate. He was a host on The Fadfada Show which aired on Al-Nas Channel and is the founder of the Flag Party.
The al‑Nour Party, or "Party of The Light", was one of the political parties created in Egypt after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. It has an ultra-conservative, Islamist ideology, which believes in implementing strict Sharia law. It has been described as the political arm of the Salafi Call Society, and "by far the most prominent" of the several new Salafi parties in Egypt, which it has surpassed by virtue of its "long organizational and administrative experience" and "charismatic leaders". Its political aim is to establish a theocratic state on the lines of Wahhabism like in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was found to be the main financer of the party according to the public German television news service ARD.
Emad Eddine Abdel-Ghaffour is a founder of the Salafist Homeland Party in Egypt, the former leader of the Al Nour Party and a surgeon. He was released from detention 2 weeks after the 2013 Egyptian coup. Ghaffour stated at the time that he would withdraw from politics and focus on worship, given the political climate. Ghaffour was instrumental in the creation of the new alliance named the 25 January Salvation Front that calls for the "restoration" of the 25 January revolution; Ghaffour met with Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh to organize its creation.
The Building and Development Party is an Islamist political party in Egypt.
The Islamist Bloc, formally the Alliance for Egypt was an electoral alliance of Egyptian political parties, formed for the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election. It consisted of two Salafist parties, Al-Nour and Authenticity Party, as well as the Building and Development Party, which is the political wing of the Islamic Group. The alliance was publicly announced on 3 November 2011.
The Authenticity Party is one of the political parties created in Egypt after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. It has an ultra-conservative Islamist Salafist ideology, which believes in implementing strict Sharia law. The party was formed by the former head of the Virtue Party, General Adel Abdel Maksoud; he left the Virtue Party after allegedly discovering a plot which changed the moderate principles of the party. The party is considering leaving the Anti-Coup Alliance.
Abdel Moneim El Shahat is a religious preacher, TV Host, and the official spokesman of the Egyptian Salafist group al-Da'wa al-Salafiya. He graduated from the faculty of Engineering in Alexandria University in 1992. He became a regular guest on talk shows after the 2011 Egyptian revolution as his opinions about tourism and Naguib Mahfouz's novels were publicly debated.
The People Party is an Islamist party in Egypt which is part of the Anti-Coup Alliance.
The Egyptian Renaissance Party, also known as the Revival Party, is a Salafist political party. However, it has also been reported to be in favor of a civil state. The leader of the party, Ibrahim Al-Zafaraany, stated that the party would focus on education and "scientific research" as well as the economy. Al-Zafaraany is a former member of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya.
The Homeland Party is an Islamist political party in Egypt, founded in January 2013 following a split within the al-Nour Party. It was formed when Emad Abdel Ghaffour, the former leader of al-Nour, and 150 other party members quit in protest at the part of a dispute between Ghaffour and followers of Yasser Borhamy. The party has stated that Copts will be allowed to join the party and women will be allowed on electoral lists. In June 2013, 130 members of the party resigned in response to differences within the party leadership. The party withdrew from the Anti-Coup Alliance on 17 September 2014, though the reason for its withdrawal was not because of political differences.
Zakaria Younes Abdel-Halim Makioun is an Egyptian MP who is currently the Chairman of the Salafist Al-Nour Party. He is also a member of the Constituent Assembly of Egypt.
Mohamed Yousri Salama was an Egyptian politician, writer and activist.
The Anti-Coup Alliance is a coalition in Egypt formed to reverse the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi. The coalition is made up of approximately 40 Islamist parties and groups.
The Freedom and Justice Party is an Egyptian Islamist political party. The ex-president of the party, Mohamed Morsi, won the 2012 presidential election, and in the 2011 parliamentary election it won more seats than any other party. It is nominally independent, but has strong links to the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, the largest political group in Egypt. The party was banned and dissolved in 2014; however, it continues to function underground.
The Salafist Front is an Egyptian Salafi Islamist organization that was founded after the 2011 Egyptian revolution after breaking away from the Salafist Call. It has been called "one of the largest Salafist associations in the Middle East". The organization was part of the Anti-Coup Alliance, though it announced on 4 December 2014 that it had withdrawn from the alliance. It has also been described as one of the most revolutionary Islamist movements in Egypt.
The Salafist Call is a Salafi organization in Egypt that was established in 1984. It established the Nour Party in 2011, which won the second-highest number of seats in the 2011–2012 Egyptian parliamentary election. Yasser Borhamy is the vice president of the organization, while Mohamed Abdel Fattah Abu Idris is the president.
