Egypt’s Salafists, Brotherhood
At Odds Over Constitution Draft

Egyptian Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Mahsoub, the spokesman for the Constituent Assembly, has announced that the committee has completed the draft constitution.

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Summary : After weeks of argument over the role of religion in Egypt’s new constitution, the Constituent Assembly finally announced the completion of a draft. Article 2 currently states that the "principles" of Islamic Sharia law are the main source of legislation. But there's a call to change the wording so "Islamic Sharia" is the source of all legislation. Publisher: Al-Masry Al-Youm (Egypt) Original Title: Salafists: Voting Yes to the Constitution is Forbidden Under the Sharia Author: Muhammad Abdel Kader, Muhammad Gharib, Hamda Dabch, Ousama Al-Mahdi and Muhammad Talaat Daoud First Published: October 16, 2012 Posted on: October 16 2012 Translated by: Joelle El-Khoury Categories : Egypt

The Salafists called on the Egyptian people to vote against the new constitution in a referendum scheduled to take place after the Constituent Assembly adopts the preliminary draft document.

Some Salafist groups issued a fatwa prohibiting support for the new constitution, should Article 2 stipulate that the principles of Islamic law be the principal source of legislation in Egypt.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) launched several campaigns in various neighborhoods to urge citizens to vote in favor of the constitution, Mohammed Beltagy — a leader of the FJP — told Al-Masry Al-Youm.

The Salafist Front reiterated its refusal of the present draft constitution. Hamid Mashaal, a leader of the front, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that “Islamic sheikhs and leaders will be standing in the first line to oppose Article 2 and other articles that violate Islamic law, and the front will hold popular conferences demanding that the citizens vote ‘No.'” 

Adel Afifi, head of the ultraconservative Salafist Asala Party, said that “the Salafists are capable of mobilizing millions of people to vote against the constitution.”

Leaders of the Islamic Legitimate Body of Rights and Reformation (ILBRR) called on the Egyptian people to defend their identity and ideology by preserving Islamic law and opposing any attempts made by “a few suspicious people” that call for secularizing the constitution and disrespecting Islamic law.

Mohammed Salah, a member of the ILBRR, said, “We will mobilize millions of citizens to take to the squares if a constitution that is inconsistent with what God sent down to us is adopted,” stressing that holding a referendum on the current draft of the constitution is “forbidden under Islamic law.”

In a press conference held in parliament yesterday [Oct. 15], Mahsoub said: “The constitution-drafting process has entered its final stages.”

He announced that the preliminary draft had been submitted to jurists, economists, sociologists and judges to solicit their opinions and receive their proposals.

Al-Masy Al-Youm received the complete preliminary draft of the new constitution, which the committee completed yesterday evening. The copy includes all the constitution's chapters except for general provisions.