An MP from Jama’a al-Islamiya’s Construction and Development Party and member of the constituent assembly, Hani Noureddin, said Monday that his party “won’t give up the application of the Sharia and will defend the second article of the (1971) constitution,” which stipulates that the principles of Islamic law are the main source of legislation.
Noureddin told Al-Masry Al-Youm that there is no disagreement among political powers over the second article, adding that his party is open to suggestions that are in accordance with the principles of Islamic law.
The party has finalized a draft of the constitution to be introduced during the constituent assembly meetings, Noureddin said, adding that legal experts have contributed to the draft that the Shura Council of the group and its party leaders have made.
Noureddin said that the group has made use of existing constitutional experience and considered all sectors of Egyptian society.
“We aim to propose, not to impose, our point of view through the draft,” the MP said. “We will respect all other points of view with the aim of drafting a constitution that embraces all Egyptians,” he added.
“There is coordination between Construction and Development Party, the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi Nour Party to reach a united vision shared with all political trends that goes also with the culture and identity of society.”
Noureddin expected that the disagreement between political trends will be around the form of government, whether presidential or parliamentarian, adding that the conclusion should be consensus that serves the interests of the country.
Jama’a al-Islamiya engaged in armed confrontations with government security forces in the 1990s, aiming to depose the Mubarak regime and establish an Islamic state. However, in the late 1990s, the group announced it would abandon its violent, jihadist ideology, and apologized for previous attacks that had killed hundreds.
