The Jama'a al-Islamiya in Egypt announced on Monday that it will launch a political party called Development and Construction. It will be one of several parties formed since the 25 January revolution. In a statement, the group said the party's key principles are “justice, equality, freedom, pluralism, consultation and social cohesion,” in addition to spreading the political values of Islam and countering the smear campaigns aimed at such Islamic values. The group said the party has many goals, including preserving the Islamic and Arab identities of Egypt and countering Westernization, secularization, corruption and moral decline. It said its goals also include protecting the gains of the revolution and working on legal, constitutional and political reforms, aiming at a political system that does not exclude any political faction. “The party relies on proper methods to achieve its goals. It approves of pluralism, equality and respect for others, as well as constructive dialogue aimed at diminishing the gap between different trends to achieve social peace and stability." The group named Tarek al-Zomor, Safwat Abdel Ghany, Al-Shazly al-Sagheer and Ashraf Tawfiq as founding deputies. They are authorized to submit an official request to establish the party. The Jama'a al-Islamiya was involved in confrontations with former President Hosni Mubarak's regime during the nineties. However, the group's leaders renounced violent jihadist thinking years ago and apologized for attacks that left hundreds of victims, including policemen, Copts and officials. Translated from the Arabic Edition
