# Egyptian Islamic Labour Party

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Egyptian_Islamic_Labour_Party
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Egyptian_Islamic_Labour_Party.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Islamic_Labour_Party
> Source revision: 1354432088
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Political party in Egypt

Labour Party حزب العمل Hizb al-ʿamal Founder Ahmed Hussein Ibrahim Shoukry Founded 1978 (1978) Preceded by Young Egypt Party Headquarters Cairo Newspaper Al Shaab (currently suspended) Ideology Before 1986: Democratic Socialism Socialism After 1986: Islamic socialism Islamism Political position Left-wing National affiliation Anti-Coup Alliance[1] Colors Green Blue Slogan God... the People الله... الشعب House of Representatives 0 / 568 Politics of Egypt Political parties Elections

The **Islamic Labour Party** ([Arabic](/source/Arabic_language): حزب العمل الإسلامي, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Arabic): *Ḥizb al-ʿamal al-islāmī*), previously the **Socialist Labour Party** ([Arabic](/source/Arabic_language): حزب العمل الإشتراكي, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Arabic): *Ḥizb al-ʿamal al-ishtirākī*), Commonly known in Egypt as just the **Labour Party**, is an Egyptian [Socialist](/source/Socialism)-turned [Islamist](/source/Islamism)-political party.

The party was suspended in 2000, but later joined the [Democratic Alliance for Egypt](/source/Democratic_Alliance_for_Egypt) during the [2011-2012 parliamentary election](/source/2011%E2%80%9312_Egyptian_parliamentary_election); it gained one seat in the [People's Assembly of Egypt](/source/People's_Assembly_of_Egypt).[2]

## History and ideology

The party established on 9 September 1978 by [Ibrahim Shoukry](/source/Ibrahim_Shoukry)[3] and others. It was originally a [socialist](/source/Socialist) party.[4] The party is the successor of the [Masr Al Fattah Movement](/source/Young_Egypt_Party_(1933)), which was founded by Ahmad Hussain in 1933.[3]

Initially established as a [Left-wing](/source/Left-wing_politics) [Socialist](/source/Socialism) party, but ever since 1986 the party has undergone a major ideological change turning into an [Islamist](/source/Islamist) party. In 1987 the party formed an alliance, called [Tahaluf](/source/Islamic_Alliance_(Egypt)), with the [Muslim Brotherhood](/source/Muslim_Brotherhood) and the [Liberal Socialists Party](/source/Liberal_Socialists_Party_(Egypt)).[4] This change was first demonstrated in the party's fifth conference in 1989 which was entitled "Reform from an Islamic perspective".[5]

The party platform calls for:

- Establishing an economic system based on the [Islamic](/source/Islam) [Shari'ah](/source/Shari'ah).

- Protecting the national industries.

- Equal distribution of investments among the Egyptian governorates.

- Achieving unity between Egypt, [Sudan](/source/Sudan) and [Libya](/source/Libya).

- Liberating the occupied [Palestinian](/source/Palestine_(region)) lands.

- Promoting ties with developing countries.[6]

### Sadat's suppression of the party

Before the party was anti-Mubarak, it opposed [Anwar Sadat](/source/Anwar_Sadat) heavily through its newspaper and constant protests; this led to most of the head of the party being arrested, which in turn triggered the party's fall in the 1980s.[7]

### 1990 elections

The party and a few others abstained from the election because of an [amendment](/source/Amendment) to the 1972 Electoral Law forbidding unified lists, with the Socialist Labour Party attempting to combine with the [Muslim Brotherhood](/source/Muslim_Brotherhood) in hope to change the [Muslim Brotherhood](/source/Muslim_Brotherhood)'s view on Islam in a more leftist way, but this plan failed when they were suspended in 2000. The [Muslim Brotherhood](/source/Muslim_Brotherhood) and the Labour Party still remain great allies.

### 2000 suspension

On 20 May 2000, the Egyptian committee for political parties' affairs (the committee responsible for authorizing the formation of political parties in Egypt) decided to freeze the activities of the Labor Party and suspend its newspaper *[al Shaab](/source/Al_Shaab_(newspaper))*. The committee referred to Article 17 of the political parties law, which enables it to suspend the activities of a party, as a means of stopping any decision or act by a party that is contrary to the higher interests of the country. The committee attributed its decision to the split within the party ranks, with one group led by Hamdi Ahmad, a member of the party’s executive committee, and the other led by Ahmad Idris. The committee, in its decision, referred to the official complaint brought by those members concerning the selection of a new party chair. The two party members also asked for *Al-Shaab* to be suspended from publication and a freeze to be put on the party’s bank account. Labor Party chairman Ibrahim Shoukry described these demands as illegal.[8]

### The split

The Islamic Labour Party was split in June 2011 when some of the leaders of the party created the [Arab Unification Party](/source/Arab_Unification_Party) in June 2011.[9]

### 2011–present

The party allied with the [Democratic Alliance for Egypt](/source/Democratic_Alliance_for_Egypt) ahead of the [2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election](/source/2011%E2%80%9312_Egyptian_parliamentary_election) and gained one seat.

It became part of the [Anti-Coup Alliance](/source/Anti-Coup_Alliance) following the [2013 Egyptian coup d'état](/source/2013_Egyptian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat).[1]

### Lawsuit against Islamic parties

The *Egyptian Islamic Labour Party* is one of the eleven [Islamic parties](/source/Islamic_party) targeted by a lawsuit in November 2014, when an organization named *Popular Front for opposing the Brotherhoodization of Egypt* sought to dissolve all political parties established "on a religious basis."[10] The Alexandria Urgent Matters Court however ruled on 26 November 2014 that it lacked jurisdiction.[11]

## Electoral history

### People's Assembly elections

Election Seats +/– 2011–12 (as part of Democratic Alliance for Egypt) 1 / 596 1

## See also

- [List of Islamic political parties](/source/List_of_Islamic_political_parties)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Mada_Masr_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Mada_Masr_1-1) ["Anti-coup alliance denies giving up on the return of Morsi"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140421132830/http://www.madamasr.com/content/anti-coup-alliance-denies-giving-return-morsi). *Mada Masr*. 25 December 2013. Archived from [the original](https://madamasr.com/content/anti-coup-alliance-denies-giving-return-morsi) on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Democratic Alliance (Freedom and Justice)"](http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/33/103/26895/Elections-/Electoral-Alliances/Democratic-Alliance.aspx). Ahram Online. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-map_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-map_3-1) Dina Shehata (March 2012). ["Mapping Islamic Actors in Egypt"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150927043841/http://media.leidenuniv.nl/legacy/mapping-islamic-actors---version-2.2.pdf) (PDF). Islam Research Program. Archived from [the original](http://media.leidenuniv.nl/legacy/mapping-islamic-actors---version-2.2.pdf) (PDF) on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mer_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mer_4-1) "Egyptian Political Parties". *MERIP*. **147** (17). July–August 1987.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [http://el3amal.worldispnetwork.com/ta3reef.htm](http://el3amal.worldispnetwork.com/ta3reef.htm) (in Arabic) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20050829212127/http://el3amal.worldispnetwork.com/ta3reef.htm) August 29, 2005, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The Egyptian Labor Party"](http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Templates/Articles/tmpArticles.aspx?ArtID=486). State Information Services. Retrieved 16 December 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Egyptian Political Parties"](https://www.merip.org/mer/mer147/egyptian-political-parties). Middle East Research and Information Project. July–August 1987. Retrieved 22 January 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["EOHR condemns committee's decisions against Egypt's Labor Party and its Newspaper"](http://www.ifex.org/egypt/2000/05/22/eohr_condemns_committee_s_decisions/). Egyptian Organization for Human Rights. 22 May 2000. Retrieved 16 December 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Arab Unification (Al Tawheed el Araby) Party"](http://egypt.electionnaire.com/parties/?id=9). Egypt Electionnaire. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Auf, Yussef (25 November 2014). ["Political Islam's Fate in Egypt Lies in the Hands of the Courts"](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/egyptsource/political-islam-s-fate-in-egypt-lies-in-the-hands-of-the-courts). [Atlantic Council](/source/Atlantic_Council). Retrieved 1 December 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Court claims no jurisdiction over religiously affiliated parties"](https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/26/court-claims-jurisdiction-religiously-affiliated-parties/). *[Daily News Egypt](/source/Daily_News_Egypt)*. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

v t e Political parties in Egypt House of Representatives Nation's Future Party (231) Homeland Defenders Party (91) National Front Party (70) Republican People's Party (28) Social Democratic Party (12) Egyptian Wafd Party (12) Justice Party (11) Reform and Development Party (11) Al-Nour Party (6) Tagammu Party (5) Congress Party (4) Will of a Generation Party (2) Egyptian Freedom Party (2) Consciousness Party (1) Conservative Party (1) Senate Nation's Future Party (104) Homeland Defenders Party (44) National Front Party (22) Republican People's Party (10) Social Democratic Party (5) Reform and Development Party (4) Justice Party (4) Egyptian Wafd Party (2) Tagammu Party (2) Will of a Generation Party (1) Egyptian Freedom Party (1) Congress Party (1) Active political parties Egyptian Alliance Party Al-Ansar Party Arab Party for Justice and Equality Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Egypt Region Arab Unification Party Arabic Popular Movement Arabism Egypt Party Authenticity Party Beginning Party Bread and Freedom Party Building and Development Party Change and Development Party Egyptian Citizen Party Egyptian Communist Party Civilization Party Constitution Party Democratic Generation Party Democratic Peace Party Democratic Union Party Development Party Dignity Party Egypt Party Egypt Renaissance Party Egyptian Arab Socialist Party Egyptian Revolution Party Equality and Development Party Free Egypt Party Free Egyptians Party Free Egyptian Building Party Free Republican Party Free Social Constitutional Party Freedom Egypt Party Freedom and Justice Party Ghad Party Ghad El-Thawra Party Green Party Haya Party Homeland Party Egyptian Hope Party Human Rights and Citizenship Party New Independent Party Independence Party Islamic Party Islamic Labour Party Knights of Egypt Party New Labour Party Liberal Constitutional Party Liberation Party Life of the Egyptians Party Modern Egypt Party My Homeland Egypt Party National Bloc National Movement National Party National Conciliation Party Nasserist Party Nubian Nile Party People's Democratic Party People Party Pioneer Party Popular Current Party Quiver Party Egyptian Reform Party Reform and Renaissance Party Renaissance Party Revolution Egypt Party Revolutionary Guards Party Sadat Democratic Party Social Justice Party Social Peace Party Socialist Party of Egypt Socialist Popular Alliance Solidarity Party Strong Egypt Party Umma Party Union Party Victory Party Virtue Party Voice of Freedom Party Egyptian Will Party Al-Wasat Party We Are the People Party Workers and Peasants Party Workers Democratic Party Young Egypt Party Egypt Youth Party Egypt 2000 Party Active political coalitions 25-30 Alliance Anti-Coup Alliance Call of Egypt Civil Democratic Movement Egypt Egypt's Support coalition Egyptian Front Independent Current Coalition Independent National Reawakening Bloc National Unified List Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of Egypt

## External links

- [alShaab](https://www.alshaab.com/), Labour's party official newspaper currently suspended but is still published online.

- [\[1\]](https://web.archive.org/web/20051216092934/http://www.eohr.org/annual/2000/p9.htm) The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Annual report; Violations of Human Rights 2000–2001; part 9: The right to establish parties, associations & unions.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Egyptian Islamic Labour Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Islamic_Labour_Party) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Islamic_Labour_Party?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.