The Building and Development Party ( ar-at, حزب البناء والتنمية, Hizb el-Benaa wa el-Tanmia, alternatively translated as ''Construction and Development Party'') is an Islamist political party in Egypt. Initiated by the al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya (''"Islamic Group"''), it is seen as the political wing of the movement. The party was established on 20 June 2011, following the

2011 Egyptian revolution The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January revolution ( ar, ثورة ٢٥ يناير; ), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police ho ...

, and officially endorsed by the Supreme Administrative Court on 10 October 2011. The Building and Development Party has participated in the

2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election 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 dis ...

as part of the Alliance for Egypt (dubbed as the "Islamist Bloc"), led by the Salafist Al-Nour Party. The possible dissolution of the party is being investigated by the Political Parties Affairs Committee. According to its manifesto, the party stands for a representative democracy with institutions guided by the principles of the

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

, while rejecting any form of theocracy. Moreover, it favours a free economy and questions the size of the public sector. Among the party's ranks is Abbud al-Zumar, who was imprisoned for nearly twenty years for involvement in the assassination of the Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. The group has accepted the resignation of Assem Abdel Magued following his incitement against the Egyptian military; the organization has expressed its commitment to peace following the coup that toppled Mohamed Morsi. The party considered leaving the Anti-Coup Alliance; it has called for reconciliation with the Sisi administration. al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, the parent organization of the party, is considering participating in the 2015 parliamentary election.

Lawsuit against Islamic parties

The ''Building and Development Party'' is one of the eleven

Islamic parties Below are lists of political parties espousing Islamic identity or political Islam in various approaches under the system of Islamic democracy. Islamic democracy refers to a political ideology that seeks to apply Islamic principles to public p ...

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." The Alexandria Urgent Matters Court however ruled on 26 November 2014 that it lacked jurisdiction.

References

2011 establishments in Egypt Islamic political parties in Egypt Organisations of the Egyptian Crisis (2011–2014) Political parties established in 2011 Political parties in Egypt {{Egypt-party-stub